Bribery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the observations and recommendations in the OECD Phase 2 report on the United Kingdom's Application of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and the 1997 Recommendation on Combating Bribery in International Business Transactions.

Ian Pearson: On its publication in March, the Government welcomed the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) phase 2 report's recognition of the
	"highest level of transparency, professionalism and cooperation"
	which the UK showed during the review process. The Attorney-General, many Government departments, law enforcement agencies, parliamentarians and others made a great effort to ensure that the OECD examiners had access to all those with an interest in our anti-bribery framework.
	Bribery of any official or 'agent' are long standing crimes under UK law and since 2002 our courts have had jurisdiction over acts of bribery by UK nationals and companies even if the acts take place entirely overseas. Against this background the OECD Bribery Working Group concluded in 2003 that
	"UK law now addresses the requirements of the convention".
	The latest report commends the UK for other aspects of our anti-bribery framework, such as employee whistleblower protection, the ability of the tax authorities to make spontaneous disclosures of suspicious information to law enforcement agencies and the wide scope of the "regulated sector" in our anti-money-laundering reporting regime.
	The report also notes the support the Government have provided to a number of private sector and civil society anti-corruption initiatives, e.g. Transparency International's Business Principles on Countering Bribery, the International Business Leaders' Forum and the Commonwealth Business Council.
	As is customary with these reports, it also presents recommendations for further action. These focus on areas such as awareness-raising and the prevention and detection of foreign bribery. We are considering how best to take these forward and will report on progress to the OECD Bribery Working Group in December.

Afghanistan

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the counter-narcotics programme in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: The UK, as lead nation, remains committed to supporting the Afghan Government in the implementation of their comprehensive National Drug Control Strategy. We are working with the Afghan Government and others to increase activity in all areas of their strategy over the coming year—the principles of which were underlined by President Karzai during the first Afghan Counter Narcotics National Conference held at the beginning of December shortly after his inauguration. President Karzai has continued to make very clear his determination to tackle the drugs problem. He reinforced this determination when he met my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in February. We welcome the commitment shown by President Karzai and the Government of Afghanistan in tackling this problem.
	As well as coordinating the activity of international partners, the UK is providing substantial financial and practical support—the UK will spend more than £50 million this year on counter narcotics work in Afghanistan, including £30 million on Alternative Livelihoods.
	I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my hon. Friend, the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (Bill Rammell) on 10 March 2005, Official Report, columns 121–23WS on Afghanistan: Counter Narcotics. The statement outlined increased UK support for the Government of Afghanistan's 8-pillar 2005 Counter Narcotics Implementation Plan (Institution Building, Information Campaign, Alternative Livelihoods, Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, Eradication, Demand Reduction and Regional Co-operation). Our activity in the last financial year included: the running of seven training courses on intelligence and investigation techniques for the Afghan Counter-Narcotics Police; support for over five major seizures of opiates; the provision of a mobile forensic laboratory; and help to establish regional law enforcement offices in seven provincial centres outside Kabul.
	In addition, the UK works closely with Afghanistan's neighbours, including providing assistance, to help their efforts to counter the flow of opiates from Afghanistan.
	The UK is currently pressing for specific commitments from partners following a joint Foreign Secretary and International Development Secretary lobby letter campaign in February. We want to solicit funds for the Counter Narcotics Trust Fund (CNTF), in support of the Afghans' Counter Narcotics Implementation Plan.

Belarus

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Belarus concerning the proceedings by the state authorities against the New Life Church in Minsk.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 26 May 2005
	The Government continues to raise human rights issues with the Belarusian authorities, both bilaterally and together with EU partners. Most recently, the EU issued a statement on 19 May condemning the use of administrative regulations to restrict the activities of independent organisations such as the New Life Church. The statement called on the Belarusian Government to reconsider legislation which threatens the existence of these organisations and denies the population the right to freedom of association. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any separate representations concerning the New Life Church. However, our ambassador in Minsk has met with the leaders of the Church to hear their concerns.
	The full text of the EU statement is available on the internet at www.eu2005.lu

North Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will change the advice on the Foreign Office website to advise UK nationals against purchasing properties in occupied North Cyprus where the original owner of the land was a Greek Cypriot.

Douglas Alexander: The Government already advise potential purchasers of property in north Cyprus that the non-recognition of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" and the possibility of a future political settlement in Cyprus could have significant practical, financial and legal consequences. We strongly encourage potential buyers to seek independent, qualified legal advice and we also highlight the risk that purchasers could face legal proceedings in the courts of the Republic of Cyprus.
	The travel advice is regularly reviewed and amended in response to changing circumstances on the island. However, it is not the place of the Government to intervene in private commercial transactions.

Public Relations

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list events that the public relations company Trimedia Communications has organised as part of its contract with his Department; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the company in generating media coverage.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has recruited Trimedia Communications UK to provide media relations support during our EU Presidency to ensure an appropriate range of media are informed about the Presidency. No events have been planned and the results of Trimedia's work will not be available until the end of the Presidency. At that point Trimedia are required to provide an evaluation report.
	In April 2005, the FCO also recruited Trimedia to provide media and public relations support for the FCO's consular awareness/travel safety campaign "Know Before You Go". Recently, Trimedia brokered an agreement with BritishLions.com (the official website of Lions' fans) for the communication of online consular and travel safety messages to rugby fans visiting New Zealand for the British Lions' Tour. This is the first public facing initiative undertaken by Trimedia on our behalf and is on-going. It would be premature to comment on the company's effectiveness in generating media coverage at this stage. Trimedia are however required to demonstrate their effectiveness against targets laid down by the FCO and the Central Office of Information, through whom this contract was tendered.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Sudan, regarding the forced relocations of internally displaced persons in the Sorba Arabi Camp, Khartoum.

Ian Pearson: On 19 May, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) issued a statement expressing the UK's grave concern about the deaths of three civilians and 14 police officers in Soba Aradi Internally Displaced People's (IDP) camp in Khartoum, (available at: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/pressreleases/bennsoba-sudan.asp).
	He called on all sides to prevent any further loss of life and urged the Government of Sudan to respect the human rights of the IDPs, protect its citizens and bring those responsible to justice. Our ambassador in Khartoum has also raised the incident with the Government of Sudan and pressed them to investigate the incident in consultation with the Joint National Transition Team under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and to take the necessary steps to prevent a recurrence.
	We have repeatedly made clear to the Government of Sudan that all returns and relocations must be entirely voluntary and take place in full consultation with the established international monitoring mechanisms which are in place.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of civil society from Southern Sudan concerning the peace process in the country.

Ian Pearson: A member of the British High Commission in Nairobi now spends much of his time in Southern Sudan. He and other UK government officials discuss the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement with members of civil society, and others in Southern Sudan. We have also provided £1.2 million to Pact, a non-government organisation supporting the emergence of an active civil society in South Sudan.

Western Sahara

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the compliance of decisions to review reconnaissance contracts for oil and gas in the Western Sahara with the UN embargo on oil and gas activity in that country.

Kim Howells: The Government regard the sovereignty of Western Sahara as undetermined pending United Nations efforts to find a solution to the dispute over the territory. UN Legal Counsel gave an opinion on the signing of contracts for exploration of mineral resources in Western Sahara in 2002 (S/2002/161 of 12 February 2002). This concluded that, while the contracts in question
	"are not in themselves illegal, if further exploration and exploitation activities were to proceed in disregard of the interests and wishes of the people of Western Sahara, they will be in violation of the international law principles applicable to mineral resource activities in Non-Self-Governing Territories."
	We fully support this advice.

Asylum and Immigration

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the process by which those who fail to be granted refugee status have their status in the UK determined thereafter.

Tony McNulty: When an asylum claimant is found by the Immigration and Nationality not to be a refugee within the meaning of the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees, caseworkers will go on to consider whether a grant of Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave is appropriate under our published policies. Where a claimant qualifies for Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave, limited leave will be granted for a period of up to three years. Those who are found not to be in need of international protection and have no other basis of stay would be expected to leave the United Kingdom, subject to the outcome of any appeal. If a claim is certified as clearly unfounded, then any appeal could only be brought from abroad. Otherwise the claimant would be entitled to remain in the United Kingdom until their appeal has been determined.

Asylum and Immigration

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of migrants who apply for refugee status and for which it is determined that they do not qualify have appealed in the last 12 months; and what the average length of time for determining such appeals over that period was.

Tony McNulty: The latest published statistics estimate that 63 per cent. of asylum applications received in 2003 resulted in an appeal being lodged to the Immigration Appellate Authority (now Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT)).
	The Home Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) set a jointly owned public service agreement target for 2003–04 that 60 per cent. of substantive asylum applications (excluding withdrawals and third country cases 1 ) received from 1 April 2003 should have a decision, up to and including final appeal at the Immigration Appeal Tribunal, within six months 2 .
	The Home Office and DCA exceeded this target with 64 per cent. of substantive applications received in the period April 2003 to March 2004 had a final decision, up to and including appeals at the IAT, within six months.
	1 Cases which may be the responsibility of other EU member states under the Dublin Convention.
	2 "Six months" is defined as 182 days.

Asylum and Immigration

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to restrict the right of appeal against refusal of visitors' visas.

Tony McNulty: The Five Year Strategy "Controlling our borders: Making migration work for Britain" which was published in February, sets out the Government's plans for changing the right of appeal against the refusal of family visit visas. We will make changes to hear family visit visa appeals on paper only. In line with the Strategy, amendments will be made so that the right of appeal for family visitors only exists where the relevant family member is a close relative who is settled in the UK.
	Additional measures will be considered to ensure that appeal provisions remain fair and prevent abuse. Since 1993 visitors, other than family visitors, have had no right of appeal under the immigration rules against a refusal of entry clearance.

Deportation

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used for deportation of individuals following imprisonment; and what criteria apply to those holding dual nationalities.

Tony McNulty: Any foreign national convicted of a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment, with the exception of certain Commonwealth and Irish nationals who were ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom on one January 1973 and who have been resident here for the last five years, is liable to deportation.
	The Secretary of State may make a deportation order against a prisoner either following the court's recommendation as a part of the sentence under section 3(6) of the Immigration Act 1971, or the on the grounds that his/her presence in the United Kingdom is not conducive to the public good under section 3(5) of the same Act. Each case is considered against the criteria laid down by paragraph 364 of the Immigration Rules HC 395.
	Any person holding dual British nationality has the right of abode in the United Kingdom and is not liable to deportation. The fact that a person holds dual nationality of two other countries is not a direct factor when deciding whether or not to make a deportation order against them, but their views together with available travel documentation are taken into account when deciding to which country they are to be removed.

Migrant Workers (EU Accession States)

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the impact of workers from EU accession states on labour market stability; if he will publish the results of that assessment; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the numbers of workers from countries which became member states on 1 May 2004 who have registered in the UK; and in which (a) sectors and (b) types of employment these workers are engaged.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 25 May 2005
	An early assessment of the impact of the free movement of workers from central and Eastern Europe on the UK labour market was published on 26 May 2005 on the Department for Work and Pensions website www.dwp. gov.uk.
	The Accession Monitoring report, published on the Home Office website on 26 May 2005 contains management information showing the number of workers registered under the Worker Registration Scheme between 1 May 2004 to 31 March 2005, the sectors in which they are working and the occupations. The report is available at http://www.ind.homeoffice. gov.uk/ind/en/home/0/reports/accession monitoring.html

Detainees (Treatment)

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to paragraph 80 of the Intelligence and Security Committee's Report, "The Handling of Detainees by UK intelligence personnel in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq", (Cm. 6469), on what dates before 28 June 2004 members of the armed forces (a) escorted civilian intelligence personnel to US-controlled detention facilities in Iraq, (b) handed such personnel over to US armed forces or other US personnel and (c) handed such personnel over to civilian contractors.

Adam Ingram: The information is not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

MARS Programme

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the support vessels that form part of the MARS programme will (a) be regarded as warships and (b) be built in the UK.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 24 May 2005
	It is Government policy that the fabrication and assembly of new Royal Navy warship hulls should be undertaken in the United Kingdom. Though current Royal Fleet auxiliary ships are not warships they are classed as "warlike" and options for replacing these ships are being examined. The Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) project is at an early state and no decision has been taken as to what will be procured; however, we expect that MARS ships will probably be "warlike".

NATO Alliance

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures his Department takes to promote the further understanding of the NATO Alliance among (a) the general public, (b) school age students and (c) university students.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence promotes understanding of NATO and our role in the alliance through promotional publications on defence, the Defence Tourer Exhibition (which travels the UK in the summer months), the Defence Schools Team, and the MOD website.
	Since 1994, the MOD has contributed funding to the Atlantic Council of the UK (a charitable organisation and the UK's affiliate to the Atlantic Treaty Association) which aims to promote understanding in the UK of the role of NATO, largely through educational channels.

Unmanned Air Vehicle Projects

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which UK-based aerospace companies are undertaking unmanned air vehicle projects funded in whole or in part by his Department.

Adam Ingram: At present, both Thales UK and BAE Systems are leading work on unmanned air vehicle projects funded by the Ministry of Defence.
	Monday 6 June 2005

British Waterways Board

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will change the policy of the British Waterways Board regarding achieving a return from surplus non-operational land.

Jim Knight: The Government recently carried out a five yearly review of British Waterways and endorsed its vision of being largely self-sufficient by 2012. British Waterways' non-operational estate is an essential part of this strategy and produced around £26.5 million of rental income in 2004–05, out performing the Industry Investment Property Database for total returns from property and investment by almost 3 percentage points .
	British Waterways relies on income from its assets to contribute to the cost of maintaining its waterways and to improve their attractiveness, use, amenity and interest to the wider public. Without this income, British Waterways would be more dependent on Government funding. There are no plans to change this policy.

Climate Change

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is the Government's policy that the post-Kyoto strategy to tackle climate change should be target-based on a country basis.

Elliot Morley: As yet, there have been no formal intergovernmental discussions of the design of a future commitment period under the Kyoto protocol. The UK will chair the EU at the UN climate change conference at the end of this year at which these discussions are due to commence. Our presidency of the EU gives us an excellent opportunity to galvanise work on preparing for future action. Nevertheless, experts have been considering what different approaches might look like and a number of approaches have been suggested for the design of future action on climate change.
	At this stage, it is important that we remain flexible in looking at the options, that all existing suggestions for future frameworks remain on the table, and that full consideration is given both to the possible frameworks themselves and to the elements within them that could be used to form part of a workable solution.
	In considering any future regime, the Government's long-term view is that the architecture of a future framework needs to be realistic (relevant to countries with different national circumstances), robust (capable of being adjusted in the light of experience) and durable (will not become irrelevant after a few years) but for any such framework to be affective, it would be necessary for it to achieve a wide global acceptance and to deliver results in terms of significant emissions reductions. The Government are committed to finding a solution to the issue of climate change that meet these criteria.

Common Agricultural Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) net contribution by the UK to and (b) net income received by the UK from the common agricultural policy has been in each year since 1980.

Jim Knight: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The UK contributes to the whole EU budget rather than to specific components.
	
		Net contributions to EC budget
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1998–99 outturn 4,111 
			 1999–2000 outturn 3,325 
			 2000–01 outturn 4,318 
			 2001–02 outturn 1,477 
			 2002–03 outturn 3,080 
			 2003–04 estimated outturn 3,295 
			 2004–05 plans 3,306 
		
	
	Source:
	HM Treasury "European Community Finances Statement on the 2004 EC Budget and measures to counter fraud and financial mismanagement".
	(b) The following table lists receipts from the EU in relation to the common agricultural policy. Receipts do not always relate to expenditure in the year in which they are received.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1979–80 412 
			 1980–81 606 
			 1981–82 742 
			 1982–83 805 
			 1983–84 1,200 
			 1984–85 1,203 
			 1985–86 1,282 
			 1986–87 1,481 
			 1987–88 1,128 
			 1988–89 1,597 
			 1989–90 1,226 
			 1990–91 1,645 
			 1991–92 1,812 
			 1992–93 1,593 
			 1993–94 2,885 
			 1994–95 2,478 
			 1995–96 2,674 
			 1996–97 3,304 
			 1997–98 3,466 
			 1998–99 3,343 
			 1999–2000 2,563 
			 2000–01 2,682 
		
	
	Source:
	"Annual Review of Agriculture" 1979–1988, "Agriculture in the UK" 1988–2001.
	
		Receipts from the EAGGF Guarantee and Guidance Fund
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2001 2,507 
			 2002 2,481 
			 2003 2,665 
			 2004 (Forecast) 2,907 
		
	
	Source:
	HM Treasury "European Community Finances Statement on the 2004 EC Budget and measures to counter fraud and financial mismanagement".

Employment Agencies

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff from employment agencies were employed by (a) her Department and (b) each agency of the Department (i) at the end of April and (ii) in each six month period since April 2002.

Jim Knight: holding answer 25 May 2005
	The information requested on Defra's agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The information requested for Core Defra is being collected and I will make the information available to my hon. Friend by 9 June 2005.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidencies of the EU the (i) Committee on certificates of specific character for agricultural products and foodstuffs, (ii) Committee on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs, (iii) Management Committees of the common organisation of agricultural markets for cereals and (iv) Management Committees of the common organisation of agricultural markets for dehydrated fodder met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information is as follows:
	(i) The Regulatory Committee on Certificates of Specific Character met three times in the period: on 20 January 2004; 24 February 2004; and 22 November 2004. All meetings took place in Brussels. Two UK officials with policy responsibility for regional foods attended each meeting.
	(ii) The Standing Committee on Organic Farming and its associated working groups met in Brussels:
	during the Italian presidency on 2–4 July, 22 September, 8–10 October, and 24–26 November;
	during the Irish presidency on 5 February and 1 April;
	during the Netherlands presidency on 6–7 July, 23–24 September, 5–6 October, 24 November and 9 December.
	Meetings were attended by officials from Defra's Organic Farming Branch. A wide variety of issues were discussed, in particular, seeds for use in organic farming, additives permitted in organic food, imports to the EU from third countries, the use of conventional ingredients in feed for organic livestock, conversion of livestock for organic production and the proposed EU Organic Action Plan.
	(iii) The Cereals Management Committee normally meets on a weekly basis in Brussels. The dates of meetings held during the Italian, Irish and Dutch presidencies and the items discussed can be viewed at the following internet address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/minco/manco/cereals/index.htm#top
	Meetings are attended by officials from Defra and additionally, as necessary, by officials from the Rural Payments Agency and other UK Agriculture Departments.
	(iv) The Dried Fodder Management Committee last met on 17 June 2004 in Brussels and was attended by officials from Defra. A summary of the items discussed can be viewed at the following internet address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/minco/manco/feed/index.htm

Farming

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many active farmers there have been in each year from 1980 to date.

Jim Knight: The following figures show the number of farmers, partners, directors and spouses (if working on the holding) on holdings in England between 1980 and 2004. Until 1986 the figures account for all holdings. From 1987 they relate to economically active holdings defined as having a standard gross margin of greater than zero.
	
		
			  Farmers, partners, directors and spouses 
		
		
			 1980 246,642 
			 1981 244,366 
			 1982 242,158 
			 1983 240,523 
			 1984 241,554 
			 1985 241,141 
			 1986 241,567 
			 1987 212,547 
			 1988 211,109 
			 1989 209,965 
			 1990 204,571 
			 1991 201,953 
			 1992 202,780 
			 1993 204,501 
			 1994 203,025 
			 1995 196,212 
			 1996 195,388 
			 1997 194,097 
			 1998 195,388 
			 1999 190,429 
			 2000 211,394 
			 2001 220,150 
			 2002 223,862 
			 2003 216,995 
			 2004 221,810 
		
	
	Notes
	(a) Figures for 1987 to 1999 cover main holdings only. For other years minor holdings are included. A holding is defined as minor if it meets all of the following conditions:
	1. the total area is less than 6 hectares
	2. the labour requirement is estimated to be less than 100 standard person-days
	3. there is no regular full-time farmer or worker
	4. the glasshouse area is less than 100 square meters
	5. the occupier does not farm another holding.
	(b) Due to the introduction of new questions in 1998 figures prior to this year are not directly comparable with later years' results.
	(c) Due to a register improvement exercise in 2001 labour figures prior to this are not directly comparable with later results.
	(d) The standard gross margin (SGM) is a financial measure based on the concept of the gross margin for farming enterprises. The total SGM for each farm is calculated by multiplying it's crop areas and livestock numbers by the appropriate SGM coefficients and then summing the result for all enterprises on the farm.
	Source:
	June Agricultural Census and Survey

Milk Price

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average price paid to farmers for a litre of milk has been in each year since 1980.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the annual average price paid to UK farmers for a litre of milk since 1980.
	
		United Kingdom milk prices—calendar year farmgate milk prices(3) Pence per litre including bonus payments(4)
		
			  Units: 
		
		
			 1980 12.52 
			 1981 13.26 
			 1982 14.54 
			 1983 14.64 
			 1984 14.61 
			 1985 14.99 
			 1986 15.53 
			 1987 16.11 
			 1988 17.28 
			 1989 18.39 
			 1990 18.47 
			 1991 19.93 
			 1992 20.95 
			 1993 21.97 
			 1994 22.43 
			 1995 24.94 
			 1996 25.02 
			 1997 22.12 
			 1998 19.37 
			 1999 18.35 
			 2000 16.93 
			 2001 19.26 
			 2002 17.11 
			 2003 18.03 
			 2004 18.46 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Average prices have been calculated from separate monthly surveys of milk purchasers conducted in England and Wales by Defra, in Scotland by SEERAD and in Northern Ireland by DARD. The surveys were introduced following changes to the milk marketing arrangements in 1994–95. The farmgate price is the average price received by producers, net of delivery charges. No deduction has been made for superlevy.
	2. Prices include any retrospective bonuses made by purchasers. Provisional from 2004 onwards.
	Sources:
	Eurostat (1970 to 1994), from Milk Marketing Board statistics. Defra, SEERAD and DARD (1995 onwards), including bonus payments. Contact: Colin Beattie, DEFRA, Tel: ++44 (0)1904 455095, Email: colin.j.beattie@defra.gsi.gov.uk
	Milk prices surveys Defra, SEERAD, DARD (NI)

Xenotransplantation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the recent World Health Organisation report on xenotransplantation; and what plans she has (a) to improve regulations and (b) to promote ethical standards in this area.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	In 1998, the Government announced steps to tighten the regulation of the development of animal to human transplants (xenotransplantation) and issued a Health Service Circular—HSC July 1998/126: Clinical Procedures involving Xenotransplantation—to all national health service organisations to ensure that all hospitals comply with procedures to make xenotransplantation applications as set out by the United Kingdom Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority (UKXIRA). This document is available at: www.advisorybodies.doh. gov.uk/ukxira/ukxann.htm
	These regulations are continually reviewed by UKXIRA as outlined in section two of the fifth annual report, published in 2003, which resulted in UKXIRA recommending that the Government review the definition of xenotransplantation. This work is currently being taken forward to ensure that the United Kingdom's definition of xenotransplantation is in line with the revised, broader, definition adopted in the United States in 2000, and which the Council of Europe is expected to recommend for adoption by member states. The fifth annual report is also available from the website address above.

London Eye

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has been informed that (a) the South Bank Centre's vice chairman is employed by solicitors Herbert Smith and (b) that solicitors Herbert Smith were employed by South Bank Centre in its lease negotiations with the London Eye; and what assessment she had made of whether a conflict of interest existed.

Tessa Jowell: My right hon. Friend Chris Smith who was Secretary of State at the time was aware at the time of his appointment to the South Bank board in June 1999 that Edward Walker-Arnott was then Senior Partner of Herbert Smith, one of the law firms used by South Bank Centre (SBC). Herbert Smith have been retained by SBC since 1994. Edward Walker-Arnott has now retired from the partnership and is a part-time consultant.
	I am confident that SBC and Mr. Walker-Arnott have been careful to avoid any conflict arising: in particular the decision as to which solicitors to retain on any particular matter is made by the executive team at the SBC and not by the board or any board member.

Premier League Football (TV Rights)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department (a) plans to have and (b) has had with the (i) European Commission, (ii) other Government Departments and (iii) other interested parties, regarding the collective bargaining of Premier League Football television rights.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had a number of meetings with the FA Premier League in the last six months to discuss a wide range of issues including the future of the Premier League's broadcasting rights. At these meetings the Secretary of State has made it clear that this is a competition issue in which the Government has no locus to intervene.
	The Secretary of State has had no meetings with the European Commission or other Government Departments to discuss this issue, nor has she any plans to do so in the near future.
	There has been, and will continue to be, ongoing discussion between a number of Whitehall Departments, including the Department for Trade and Industry, Department for Culture Media and Sport, and Cabinet Office, the regulators, Office for Fair Trading (OFT) and Office for Communication (OFCOM), and UKREP and DG Competition about the Premier League competition case.
	At these meetings the Government have made clear that this is a competition issue in which the Government have no locus to intervene.

Sexual Violence Counselling (Funding)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money was granted from Lottery sources to (a) individual rape crisis organisations and (b) other organisations helping female survivors of sexual violence in each year since 2001.

Richard Caborn: The table outlines the amount of money granted from Lottery sources to individual rape crisis organisations and other organisations helping female survivors of sexual violence.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Rape crisis organisations Other organisations helping female survivors of sexual violence 
		
		
			 2001 241,063 1,525,724 
			 2002 707,096 200,769 
			 2003 628,287 386,022 
			 2004 207,299 1,212,822 
		
	
	The figures for individual rape crisis organisations include all former Community Fund and New Opportunity Fund programmes, while those for projects in other organisations helping female survivors of sexual violence only include former Community Fund programmes.

Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what access Northern Ireland sports people have to the Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme programme;
	(2)  how many athletes from Northern Ireland have been awarded a Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme scholarship;
	(3)  what the process is by which scholarships are awarded for the Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme in Northern Ireland.

Richard Caborn: Sport is a devolved matter and as such the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) currently operates in England only. In addition to meeting the required performance standard for their sport, TASS athletes must have a British passport and be habitually based in England, or receive the majority of their sporting services in England, in order to be eligible for the scheme. Athletes must also be able to represent either Great Britain or England in competition. For the first year of the programme (2004–05) no athletes from Northern Ireland received support from TASS as none met the eligibility criteria.

Tourism

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) the budget for the promotion of British tourism and (b) total public spending on promoting British tourism was in each year since 1997.

James Purnell: My Department is responsible for grant-in-aid to VisitBritain, a proportion of which is used specifically to promote Britain overseas. Grant-in-aid to VisitBritain itself forms a part of wider public spending on tourism at national, regional and local levels, which in 2003–04 was estimated at over £285 million across Britain. The following figures relate only to the grant-in-aid paid, and payable, to VisitBritain, for which my Department is responsible.
	(a) VisitBritain's total available budget for the promotion of tourism over the period 2005–06 to 2007–08 was announced in December 2004, following the Spending Review. It is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2005–06 49.05 
			 2006–07 50.05 
			 2007–08 50.05 
		
	
	That represents an additional £2 million over this three-year period.
	(b) The total allocations of grant-in-aid by my Department to VisitBritain (and its predecessor bodies the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourism Council up to 2002–03) were:
	
		
			  Grant-in-aid 1 
		
		
			 1997–98 44.9 
			 1998–99 44.7 
			 1999–2000 47.8 
			 2000–01 48.0 
			 2001–02 (4)45.1 
			 2002–03 47.1 
			 2003–04 47.9 
			 2004–05 48.4 
		
	
	(3) Figures for 1998–99 to 2002–03 comprise funding for BTA, ETB and ETC.
	(4) Up to April 2001, £1.5 million per year was allocated to the BTA promotion of London as a gateway to Britain.
	These figures include amounts allocated to VisitBritain (and, before 31 March 2003, to the English Tourism Council) for the marketing of England within Great Britain.
	Additional amounts of £14.2 million in 2001–02, and £19 million in 2002–03, were allocated to the British Tourist Authority from the Reserve to help the tourism sector to recover from the impacts of the foot and mouth outbreak, and the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.

Volunteers (Sport)

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to encourage volunteers in sport.

Richard Caborn: Sport is already the single biggest volunteering activity in England, with 26 per cent. of volunteering going on in sports related activities. There are an estimated 6 million sports volunteers, representing 15 per cent. of the adult population and contributing over 1 billion hours.
	Volunteers are a key driver for change if we are to achieve our targets of increasing participation in sport and physical activity. The National Strategic Partnership for Volunteering in Sport was launched last October to provide a single strategic voice to drive forward, promote and develop volunteering in sport and the wider voluntary sector across Government and other partners.
	Sport England's partnership with Volunteering England, the national development agency for volunteering, is aimed at ensuring a joined-up approach to volunteering between sport and other sectors. National Governing Bodies of Sport set targets for raising the number of volunteers within their Whole Sport Plans that are agreed with Sport England.
	Step into Sport is one of the eight workstrands of the PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy, which aims to provide a simple framework of opportunities for young people in leadership and volunteering through sport.
	In March, the Russell Commission recommended a framework that will deliver a step change in the diversity, quality and quantity of young people's volunteering, with the aspiration to attract 1 million more young volunteers across all forms of activity. This year's Budget announced funding for the framework of up to £150 million that will include matching funds from the private sector and contributions from Sport England.
	2005 is "The Year of The Volunteer", a Home Office initiative run by the Community Service Volunteers and Volunteering England to promote volunteering across a range of sectors throughout the year in which August is the themed month of sport.

Drugs (Colombia)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Colombian government on drugs and related armed violence.

Tony Blair: We have regular discussions with the Colombian government at ministerial and official level. My hon. Friend the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Bill Rammell) raised counter-narcotics work with his Colombian counterparts during his February 2005 visit to Colombia, as did my hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) during his visit in October last year.

Foreign Affairs Policy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on mechanisms for co-ordinating policy on foreign affairs between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Defence.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement on Ministerial Committees of the Cabinet I made to the house on 24 May 2005, Official Report, column 12WS.

Living Standards

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assessment she has made of changes in living standards for women since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Table 1.2 of "Individual Incomes of men and women 1996–97 to 2003–04" (Women and Equality Unit, Department of Trade and Industry) shows that the median disposable individual income of women rose by 29 per cent. in real terms from 1996–97 to 2003–04. Table D9.1 of "Households Below Average Income 1994–05 to 2003–04" (Department for Work and Pensions) shows that the risk for adult women of living in households with less than 60 per cent. of 1996–97 median household income held constant in real terms fell from 18 per cent. in 1996–97 to 10 per cent. in 2003–04 before housing costs, and from 24 per cent. to 13 per cent. after housing costs. Further related information is available in both publications

Poverty

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what plans the Government have to curb poverty among women.

Dawn Primarolo: The sixth annual 'Opportunity for all' report (Cm 6239), published in September 2004, sets out the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion and presents information on the indicators used to measure progress against this strategy.
	The Government are determined to tackle child poverty, with women disproportionately represented in households with children living in relative low-income. The Government's reforms since 1997 have reduced the number of children living in relative low-income households by over half a million.
	The Government are also providing support to the poorest pensioners through the pension credit. Women pensioners, many of whom have not been able to build up an entitlement to a full basic state pension in their own right in the past, have been among those to benefit the most from pension credit.

Container Traffic

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the volume of container traffic which will enter the UK through east coast ports over the next three years;
	(2)  what his assessment is of the potential for container-based exports from east coast ports over the next three years.

Stephen Ladyman: No such estimate or assessment has been made. The Transport Committee's Report on Ports in November 2003 noted that various independent studies were consistent in concluding that the volume of container traffic at UK ports as a whole could grow by between 4 per cent. and 5 per cent. per annum on average to 2015. The Department has now commissioned consultants to produce national port traffic forecasts by region to 2030. These forecasts will be published as part of the forthcoming review of ports policy.

EU Legislation

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what EU legislation was implemented by (a) the Vehicle Excise Duty (Reduced Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 2000, (b) the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment, Use and Certification) (Amendment) Regulations 2002, (c) the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 (Composition and Content), (d) the Motor Fuel (Amendment) Regulations 2003 and (e) the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2004.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The Vehicle Excise Duty (Reduced Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/3274) amended the requirements as to rate and content of particulate emissions (compliance with which means the reduced pollution requirements are satisfied). This was to reflect the particulate emission levels set out in Directive 1999/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to measures to be taken against the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants from compression ignition engines for use in vehicles and against the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants from positive ignition engines fuelled with natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas for use in vehicles and amending Council Directive 88/77/EEC.
	These regulations have been revoked and replaced by the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2742) (see in particular regulation 2 and Schedule 1 and regulation 5 and Schedule 2).
	(b) The Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment, Use and Certification) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/489) do not in fact implement any Community legislation but simply amend the fees payable in respect of certificates of initial fitness, type approvals and certificates of conformity.
	(c) The End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2635) implement provisions of Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on end-of-life vehicles. Although DfT (and DEFRA) has a policy interest in these regulations they are primarily the responsibility of DTI and I am responding on their behalf in order to be as helpful as possible.
	The regulations impose both requirements to ensure vehicle materials and components do not contain specified substances and information requirements for producers regarding such materials and components. The regulations also introduce certificates of destruction and requirements in relation thereto as well as regulating the treatment of end-of-life vehicles.
	(d) The Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/3078) implement Directive 2003/17/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 March 2003 amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels.
	Essentially these regulations prohibit the distribution or sale of petrol or diesel from 2009 if its sulphur content exceeds 10 milligrams per kilogram. These regulations prohibit the sale of gas oil intended for use in tractors or non-road mobile machinery if the sulphur content is 2,000 or more milligrams per kilogram and from 2008 its sale is prohibited if the sulphur content is more than 1,000 milligrams per kilogram.
	(e) The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/568) implement three directives.
	Firstly, there is implementation of Council Directive 94/55/EC of 21 November 1994 on the approximation of the laws of the member states with regard to the transport of dangerous goods by road (as amended by Directive 2000/61/EC and Directive 2003/28/EC) in application of the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road—and in particular the latest biennial revisions (up to 2003) thereof.
	Secondly, there is implementation of Council Directive 96/49/EC of 23 July 1996 on the approximation of the laws of the member states with regard to the transport of dangerous goods by rail (as amended by Directive 2000/62/EC and Directive 2003/29/EC) in application of the dangerous goods part of the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF)—and in particular the latest biennial revisions (up to 2003) thereof.
	Thirdly, the Regulations implement the obligations of Council Directive 1999/36/EC of 29 April 1999 on transportable pressure equipment including the application of requirements for the placing of such equipment on the market and making provision in relation to conformity assessments.

Freight Transport

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made in achieving a shift in freight transportation from road to rail since 1997.

Derek Twigg: Between 1997–98 and 2003–04 (the latest year for which figures are available), levels of freight moved by rail increased from 16.9 billion to 18.9 billion tonne kilometres—an increase of around 12 per cent. It is estimated that in 2003–04 the rail freight industry saved 1.35 billion lorry kilometres.

Freight Transport

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Government financial support is available to support a shift in freight transportation from road to rail.

Derek Twigg: Over the next two years, the Government will provide over £24 million per annum in grant funding to support the transfer of traffic from road to rail. The Government also provide support for rail freight through their funding of rail infrastructure— for instance, the £7.6 billion West Coast Route Modernisation programme, which will substantially increase capacity for rail freight from the channel ports to the north west, and the c.£30 million Felixstowe-Nuneaton gauge enhancement.

Future Heathrow

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons he attended the launch of Future Heathrow.

Karen Buck: The Secretary of State attended the launch to set out the Government's policy in relation to Heathrow, as contained in the White Paper, "The Future of Air Transport", published in December 2003. He confirmed the importance of taking a forward-looking, strategic approach to dealing with the pressures caused by the increasing need to travel while at the same time meeting our commitment to protect the environment in which we live.

Ports Strategy

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to bring forward a national ports strategy.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department announced in "The Future of Transport" White Paper (Cm 6234, paragraph 7.28) their intention to review the national framework of ports policy once decisions have been taken on the outstanding applications for major container-port development. That remains the case.

Road Accidents

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he collects on the relative likelihood of being involved in a road accident in (a) a saloon car and (b) a 4X4 vehicle.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not available.

Train-related Deaths

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have died on train lines in each year since 1990; and how many of them were suicides.

Derek Twigg: The following table provides (a) the details of the number of people that have died on Britain's train lines since 1990 and (b) how many of these were recorded as suicides.
	
		Total suicides and overall annual fatalities on Britain's railways, 1990–2004
		
			  (a) Total fatalities(5) (b) Suicides(6) 
		
		
			 1990 389 157 
			 1991–92(7) 444 183 
			 1992–93 303 132 
			 1993–94 303 141 
			 1994–95 296 135 
			 1995–96 274 139 
			 1996–97 277 119 
			 1997–98 313 132 
			 1998–99 286 115 
			 1999–2000 339 133 
			 2000–01 338 132 
			 2001–02 307 124 
			 2002–03 306 118 
			 2003–04 277 101 
			 20044,5 212 43 
		
	
	(5) The total fatalities group includes fatalities of passengers, railway employees and other members of the public, trespasses and suicides.
	(6) Suicides are a sub-set of the total fatalities group.
	(7) 1991–92 was a 15-month period (1 January 1991 to 31 March 1992).
	(8) Of the 151 trespasser fatalities in 2004, a total of 98 are suspected suicides (but only 43 have yet been recorded formally as suicide).
	(9) Provisional figures for the nine-month period (1 April 2004 to 31 December 2004).

Vision Zero

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Vision Zero project.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department for Transport (DfT) is supporting a research project being conducted by the Stockholm Environment Institute at the University of York entitled Vision Zero—A Risk Assessment of Adopting a Target of Zero for Road Traffic Accident Fatalities and Serious Injuries. The researchers submitted the idea to the DfT Horizons programme which funds research intended to alert and inform the Department about long-term potential opportunities for, and risks to, achieving our policy and operational objectives.
	Work is currently in progress and a report is expected later this year on the Swedish experience of adopting a Vision Zero policy and the potential risks, costs, benefits and opportunities of a 30-year Vision Zero strategy in the UK. Further details about the project are given on the Department's Research Database http://www. rmd.dft.gov.uk where the results of the work will appear on completion.

Scottish Infantry Regiments

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) complement and (b) strength is of each of the six Scottish infantry regiments; and what it has been in each year since 2001.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member once the current data for 2005 have been collated. The establishment, trained strength and difference of each of the Scottish infantry regiments from January 2001 to January 2004 are as follows:
	
		
			 Highlanders Establishment Trained strength Difference 
		
		
			 2001 610 495 -115 
			 2002(10) 665 520 -145 
			 2003(10) 625 520 -105 
			 2004 625 525 -100 
		
	
	(10) Strength totals for 2002 and 2003 exclude Gurkhas attached to the regiment: 100 in 2002 and 110 in 2003.
	
		
			 Black Watch(11) Establishment Trained strength Difference 
		
		
			 2001 670 565 -105 
			 2002 675 535 -140 
			 2003 675 585 -90 
			 2004 675 635 -40 
		
	
	(11) Black Watch totals exclude BW LAD REME.
	
		
			 Royal Scots Establishment Trained strength Difference 
		
		
			 2001 610 515 -95 
			 2002 620 495 -125 
			 2003 620 525 -95 
			 2004 620 555 -65 
		
	
	
		
			 Royal Highland Fusiliers Establishment Trained strength Difference 
		
		
			 2001 605 530 -75 
			 2002 620 530 -90 
			 2003 620 540 -80 
			 2004 620 580 -40 
		
	
	
		
			 King's Own Scottish Borderers Establishment Trained strength Difference 
		
		
			 2001 640 585 -55 
			 2002 620 645 25 
			 2003 665 630 -35 
			 2004 670 585 -85 
		
	
	
		
			 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Establishment Trained strength Difference 
		
		
			 2001 610 590 -20 
			 2002 620 580 -40 
			 2003 625 575 -50 
			 2004 615 570 -45 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The figures are at 1 January each year. 2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest five. 3. Totals are for Regular Army officers and soldiers. 4. FTRS have been excluded. 5. Totals include members of other arms/services attached to each regiment.

Defence Procurement

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reviews have been undertaken of project management arrangements with his Department's procurement processes.

Adam Ingram: The Acquisition Policy Board, chaired by the Minister for Defence Procurement, has recently been established to oversee acquisition processes across the MOD. These processes are constantly under review. For example the DPA Forward programme is implementing the Chief of Defence Procurement's stocktake of Smart Acquisition.
	In May the National Audit Office published a report on Effective Project Control, comparing the MOD with overseas and industry practice. It identified a number of examples where the MOD compared well to their "gold standard" including the refit of HMS Illustrious, the Titan and Trojan engineer tanks and the Future Infantry Soldier Technology project.

Defence Procurement

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress in procurement of two new aircraft carriers.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond).

Asian Tsunami (Relief Operations)

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role UK armed forces are playing in relief operations for the people affected by the Asian tsunami.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence and the United Kingdom's Armed Forces responded quickly and effectively to the tsunami disaster, working closely with the Department for International Development to provide military support to the relief effort. These operations ceased in February, and all UK forces involved have now returned home or are deployed on other operations.

FRES

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Future Rapid Effect System will enter service with the Army.

Adam Ingram: The FRES programme is currently in the initial Assessment Phase. An In Service Date will not be set until the main investment decision, but initial estimates are that FRES will enter service early in the next decade, with a phased approach to achieving full operational capability thereafter.

Kellogg, Brown & Root

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role and responsibilities of Kellogg, Brown and Root in the design and build of the two aircraft carriers commissioned by the Government.

Adam Ingram: In line with our announcement of 8 February 2005, discussions continue on the roles and responsibilities of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance Participants, including those of the preferred Physical Integrator Kellogg, Brown and Root Ltd. UK.

Child Benefits (UK Citizens Abroad)

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many UK citizens living abroad are in receipt of (a) child benefit and (b) child tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: Apart from under specified circumstances, child benefit (CB) and child tax credit (CTC) are only payable to people who are present and ordinarily resident in the UK. The residence rules for eligibility to CB and CTC are explained on the HMRC website, at www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/residence-rules.htm.
	About 10,000 CB recipients are classified as "overseas" in the published geographical analyses. Around 6,000 of which are also claimants in child tax credit awards.

Child Trust Funds

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of Child Trust Fund vouchers sent out to date; how many vouchers he estimates have not been claimed; how many vouchers have been used to establish Child Trust Fund accounts; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Child Trust Fund vouchers do not need to be claimed, they are sent automatically to parents of eligible children once child benefit has been awarded. Figures for the number of vouchers sent and the number of accounts opened are being published quarterly on the HMRC website at http://www. hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child trust funds/child-trust-funds. htm. The first set of quarterly figures was published on 31 May.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria the Valuation Office Agency will use to value a residence during the council tax revaluation in England.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is available on the Valuation Office Agency website at: http://www.voa.gov.uk/council tax/ct-reval-2007/introduction-nov04.htm.

Departmental Expenditure Limit (Wales)

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the departmental expenditure limit for the (a) former Welsh Office and (b) National Assembly for Wales was in each year since 1997.

Des Browne: Data on Departmental Expenditure Limits, including the Welsh Assembly DEL, are published in the annual Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses. The latest data is in Table 1.11 of the 2005 edition of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (Cm 6521).
	The Departmental Expenditure Limit for the Wales Office is contained within the Departmental Expenditure Limit of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

EU Budget Rebate

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the UK's gross contribution to the EU will be for the years 2004 to 2008 (a) including and (b) excluding the UK abatement.

Ivan Lewis: The latest forecast of the UK's gross contributions, before and after abatement, for the period 2004–05 to 2007–08 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   £ billion 
			   Gross contribution Gross contribution after abatement 
		
		
			 2004–05 12.1 8.4 
			 2005–06 11.4 8.1 
			 2006–07 13.5 9.4 
			 2007–08 14.6 10.0 
		
	
	These estimates span the current Financial Perspective, which runs until 2006, and the beginning of the next Financial Perspective, which will set the EC Budget and policy framework for the period 2007 to 2013. Negotiations on the next Financial Perspective are ongoing and the above estimate for 2007–08 assumes an appropriately uprated roll forward of the status quo. It is without prejudice to the Government's assessment of the likely outcome of the ongoing negotiations on the next Financial Perspective.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the (i) Committee on mutual assistance in customs and agricultural matters, including operation of the CIS, (ii) Customs Code Committee—general customs rules and (iii) Customs Code Committee—recovery of claims met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: All the following meetings were held in Brussels and were attended by an official of HM Customs and Excise.
	(i) Italian presidency
	7 July 2003
	Irish presidency
	27 February 2004
	Dutch presidency
	15 July 2004
	(ii) Italian presidency
	24 September 2003
	Irish presidency
	14 January 2004
	5 February 2004
	26 April 2004
	24 May 2004
	Dutch presidency
	25 October 2004
	(iii) Italian presidency
	12 September 2003
	7 October 2003
	12 December 2003
	Irish presidency
	25 March 2004
	6 May 2004
	17 June 2004
	Dutch presidency
	7 September 2004
	19 October 2004

Inheritance Tax Relief

John Grogan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the relationship between the granting of inheritance tax relief on land and public access to that land.

Dawn Primarolo: Exemption from inheritance tax for heritage-quality land and buildings is conditional on the owner undertaking, among other matters, to provide reasonable public access. More details of the scheme, and of the properties and land to which the public have access, can be found at http://www.visitukheritage. gov.uk.
	Other inheritance tax reliefs, for example that for agricultural property, are not dependent on public access.

Lorry User Charging Levy

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that the Lorry User Charging Levy is not introduced into Northern Ireland in 2008.

John Healey: The Government are committed to ensuring that all lorries using UK roads contribute on a fair and equal basis towards the cost that they impose. The Government are therefore progressing its plans for a Lorry Road-User Charge (LRUC), which is due to be phased in from 2007–08, accompanied by offsetting tax cuts.

Red Diesel (Narrowboats)

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether changes are planned to the access for narrowboat owners to red diesel; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to what I said on the floor of the House on 26 May 2005, Official Report, column 865.

Self-financed Expenditure

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sums were reported to Her Majesty's Treasury for self-financed expenditure generated by (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales in each year since 1997.

Des Browne: The data collected by Treasury on local authority spending is reported in Chapter 6 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (Cm 6521). Table 6.1 includes data on Local Authority Self Financed Expenditure.

Stamp Duty

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average stamp duty paid for a residential property purchase in (a) England and (b) the UK has been in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Estimates of the average (mean) stamp duty bill paid for a residential property purchase in England and the UK in each financial year since 1997–98 can be found in the following table:
	
		Average stamp duty bill for residential purchases £
		
			  England UK 
		
		
			 1997–98 600 570 
			 1998–99 820 780 
			 1999–2000 1,220 1,170 
			 2000–01 1,570 1,480 
			 2001–02 1,880 1,770 
			 2002–03 2,260 2,160 
			 2003–04 2,840 2,560

Tax Credits

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the backlog of work in the tax credit over-payment team is; how many staff are part of that team; and how many additional members have been added to the team in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: In June 2004, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) set up a team to deal with disputed tax credit overpayments. At that time, there was the equivalent of around 105 full time staff working on the team. At 30 April 2005, this figure had increased to around 495.
	At 30 April 2005 there were about 125,000 disputed overpayment cases awaiting a decision. HMRC have recently streamlined their procedures for dealing with disputed overpayments to enable them to deal with these cases more quickly.

Tax Credits

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the value of remitted tax credit overpayments was for financial year (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05;
	(2)  what estimate has been made of the administrative cost of assessing tax credit overpayment remittance claims in financial year (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05.

Michael Jack: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the value of overpaid tax credits since April 2003, (b) the amount written off due to official error and (c) the amount to be recovered; and what the timescale for recovery is.

Dawn Primarolo: Overpayments to a value of £51 million have been written off since tax credits were introduced. Of this around £37 million was written off following the identification of a software error that affected some 455,000 households in April and May 2003. The background to this is explained in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General 2003–04, which can be found in the board's annual report at: www.hmrc.gov.uk/pdfs/report2004.pdf.
	The remaining £14 million had been written off by the Tax Credit Office at 20 May 2005, following consideration of claims for official error in accordance with the Department's Code of Practice 26 "What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?" which is available on its website at http://www. hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop26.pdf.
	The estimated administrative cost of dealing with disputed overpayments was around £0.9 million in 2003–04 and around £7.6 million in 2004–05.
	Statistics on overpayments in 2003–04, including information on their total value, appear in "Child and Working Tax Credit Annual statistics 2003–04 payments" and can be found on the HM Revenue and Customs website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm.

Tax Credits

Michael Jack: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each month since April 2003 the (a) number of tax credit awards made, (b) number of claims issued, broken down by parliamentary constituency, for overpayment recovery, (c) value of the credits issued, (d) amount of overpayments to be recovered, (e) number of letters received from hon. Members making representations on overpayments and (f) number of letters received from claimants subject to overpayment proceedings.

Dawn Primarolo: For (a) , quarterly estimates of the number of in-work families with tax credit awards (broken down by families with and without children) since July 2003 appear in "Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics." These can be found on the HM Revenue and Customs website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm. The estimates are based on a sample of cases, and are subject to sampling uncertainty.
	Information for (b) is not available in the format requested.
	For (c), the total expenditure on tax credits in 2003–04, I refer the right hon. Member to page 103 of the Inland Revenue annual report and accounts for that year. This can be found on HM Revenue and Customs website, at: www.hmrc.gov.uk/pdfs/report2004.pdf. Figures for 2004–05 will similarly be published later this year. Statistics for (d) appear in "Child and working tax credit annual statistics 2003–04 payments" and can be found on the HM Revenue and Customs website at: www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm.
	Information for (e) and (f) is not held in the format requested. By end March 2005 about 214,000 households had requested that some or all of their overpayment be written off under HM Revenue and Customs' Code of Practice 26, What happens if we have paid you too much tax credits? These were received as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 April and May 2004 1,529 
			 June 12,338 
			 July 17,201 
			 August 8,568 
			 September 28,178 
			 October 25,078 
			 November 22,175 
			 December 15,303 
			 January 2005 18,512 
			 February 23,728 
			 March 41,781

UK Economic Forecasts

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from economic forecasting organisations concerning prospects for the UK economy over the next five years.

John Healey: The Treasury regularly surveys the economic forecasts produced by close to 40 independent economic forecasters. The results are published in "Forecasts for the UK Economy: A comparison of independent forecasts", which is available from www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.

UK Households

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of UK households were headed by (a) couples and (b) married couples, in each year from 1979–80 to 2004–05; what the estimated figures are for 2005–06; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. David Laws, dated 6 June 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about households in the United Kingdom (UK). I am replying in his absence. (822)
	The attached table gives the proportion of households in the UK who were headed by couples and married couples for the three months ending May of each year from 1992 to 2004, the latest period for which information is available. Comparable information is not available for earlier years. These figures are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
	As with any statistical sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling variability. Comparable projections for 2005–06 for the UK are not available. However, projected figures for 2006 for England are available from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. These show projections for 2006, based on 1996 data, of 54.2 per cent. of households headed by couples and 50.5 per cent. of households headed by married couples.
	As the data from the Labour Force Survey and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are produced using separate sources, they are not directly comparable.
	
		Proportion of UK households headed by couples and married couples United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted Three month period ending May each year
		
			  All couples(13) Married couples(14) 
		
		
			 1992 62.0 56.7 
			 1993 61.2 55.4 
			 1994 60.4 54.5 
			 1995 59.2 53.3 
			 1996 58.4 52.6 
			 1997 58.7 51.9 
			 1998 58.3 51.4 
			 1999 58.1 50.7 
			 2000 58.2 50.5 
			 2001 57.6 49.5 
			 2002 57.2 48.9 
			 2003 56.7 48.3 
			 2004 56.7 48.2 
		
	
	(13) Couples in households as a percentage of all households in the UK.
	(14) Married couples in households as a percentage of all households in the UK.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey

Regional Government Referendums

Ian Davidson: To ask the hon. Member representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission 
	(1)  whether the Commission has reported to the Government on the conduct of the referendum on the north-east regional assembly;
	(2)  whether a Government response to the Commission's report on the conduct of the referendum on the north-east regional assembly is expected.

Peter Viggers: I have been asked to reply.
	The Chairman of the Electoral Commission informs me that the Commission intends to publish the reports required by section 5 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 in relation to the administration of the referendum on the north east regional assembly by autumn 2005. It will then be for the Government to respond as they consider appropriate.

EU Legislation

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list EU directives and regulations that the British Government is seeking (a) to repeal and (b) to amend in the pursuit of its policy of deregulation.

John Hutton: As part of the '6-Presidency' initiative on better regulation in Europe, the UK Government have been working closely with other member states to bring forward proposals for simplification of EU law. A priority list of 15 measures was submitted to the Commission by the Competitiveness Council in November 2004. I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library today.
	Regulatory reform will also be high priority for the UK Presidency of the EU in the second half of this year. The Government will be working closely with the Commission and other member states to ensure that the Commission delivers an effective package of further proposals for simplification of existing legislation—including repeal or amendment of legislation which is disproportionately burdensome for citizens and business—later in the year. As a first step, following its Communication "Better Regulation for Growth and Jobs" adopted on 16 March 2005, the Commission has asked member states for suggestions of which specific legislation would benefit most from simplification. Cabinet Office officials are currently consulting Government Departments, as well as external stakeholders, to identify suitable candidates which the UK will propose.

Bankruptcies

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) personal and (b) company bankruptcies in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London borough there were in each of the last three years for which figures are available; what assessment he has made of recent trends; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table records the numbers of individual bankruptcy orders and company compulsory liquidations in the London region classified according to Official Receivers' Office from 2002 to 2004.
	Figures are not separately available for Greater London and each London borough.
	
		Numbers of compulsory insolvencies recorded in the London Official Receivers offices, 2002–04 l
		
			  Annual totals 
			  2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Bankruptcy orders 1,457 1,933 4,246 
			 Company Compulsory Liquidations 1,147 864 1,114 
		
	
	(15) The 2004 London figure includes Public Interest Unit (PIU) and Carousel, which together amount to 15 bankruptcies and 120 company compulsory liquidations

British Energy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the occasions between 1 July 2004 and 31 March 2005 on which (a) Ministers and (b) officials met representatives from British Energy.

Malcolm Wicks: The then Minister for Energy, the hon. Member for North Warwickshire, met the Chief Executive of British Energy on 25 November 2004, and officials had very frequent contacts with British Energy in the period up to the successful completion of its restructuring on 14 January 2005. In future, officials will meet British Energy on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues affecting the company, and ministerial colleagues and I will meet British Energy as appropriate.

Draft European Computer Implemented Inventions Directive

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from (a) representatives of industry and (b) others following the recent European Parliament report proposing changes to the draft European Computer Implemented Inventions Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Since, the rapporteur Michel Rocard MEP's report on the 13 April, the Secretary of State and his predecessor, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Leicester, West have received two letters on the computer implemented inventions directive. One of these letters came from the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents and the other came from the right hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East and Wallsend, passing on the concerns of a constituent. Officials at the Patent Office have continued to engage with all interested parties, having recently completed a series of workshops on the concept of "technical contribution" within the directive. These workshops were attended by over 300 people, and a full report is available on the Patent Office website.

Energy Research

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much and what percentage of public expenditure on energy research and development for the financial year 2004–05 was planned to be spent on research and development for (a) nuclear fission, (b) nuclear fusion, (c) fossil fuel generation and (d) renewable energy sources.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 23 May 2005
	The following table sets out the expenditure of the DTI and Research Councils on research and development for nuclear fission, fusion, fossil fuel generation and renewables between 1997–98 and 2004–05. The following figures are in £ million.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 1 
		
		
			 Nuclear fission 1.04 1.68 2.56 0.13 2.32 2.41 2.31 2.32 
			 Nuclear fusion 16.6 12.6 14.3 17.0 14.4 14.6 15.63 19.53 
			 Fossil fuel generation 3.43 3.0 2.61 4.85 5.52 4.35 6.25 8.13 
			 Renewable energy(17) 13.7 15.0 14.39 15.46 18.82 24.40 29.07 25.16 
			 Other(18) 1.73 1.87 2.00 2.07 2.27 2.65 1.97 4.86 
		
	
	(16) Estimated spend with some elements not included.
	(17) Includes full range of renewables and also Research Council spend on carbon capture, energy storage and networks.
	(18) Includes energy efficiency.
	In addition further research relating to energy is included in the work of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research which has some £10 million funding from Research Councils over 2000–05, and in the work of the Carbon Trust. The UK also participates in international collaborative energy research via the EU and the International Energy Agency.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch Presidency of the EU the (i) Standing Committee for the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to lifts, (ii) Standing Committee for the approximation of the laws of the member states concerning pressure equipment and (iii) Committee for the implementation of projects, actions and measures for the interoperability of trans-European networks for the interchange of data between administration (IDA) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The mandate for the lifts Standing Committee is contained in Article 6.3 of the Lifts Directive 95/16/EC. The Committee did not meet during the Italian Presidency. The first Committee meeting was held on 3 February 2004 in Luxembourg during the Irish Presidency and the second Committee met on 9 September 2004 in Luxembourg during the Dutch Presidency. An official from the Standards and Technical Regulations Directorate in my Department and a technical expert from the Health and Safety Executive attended both of the Committee meetings.
	The mandate of the pressure equipment Standing Committee is contained in Article 7.2 of the Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC. The provisions of this Article have not yet been put into effect, so the Committee has never met.

Packaging Regulations

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage change in the amount of packaging used for food and drink products has followed the implementation of the packaging (essential requirements) regulations 2003.

Alun Michael: Packaging data collected in the UK does not show sector specific changes, instead it shows material specific tonnage to enable the monitoring of performance against the targets set by the packaging and packaging waste directive 94/62/EC (as amended). DEFRA's data note (as at July 2004) shows that since 1998, the estimated total tonnage of packaging flowing into the UK waste stream has dropped from 10.2 million tonnes to 10.1 million tonnes in 2003 (i.e. 0.98 per cent.) even though consumption of the packaged product has increased.

Power Stations

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list (a) the power stations operating in the UK and (b) the power stations that have been decommissioned since 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: A list of UK power stations can be found on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/inform/energy stats/electricity/dukes5 11.xls
	A list of generation disconnections can be found at table 3.7 of National Grid Transco's Seven Year Statement: http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/library/documents/sys 04/dddownloaddisplay.asp?sp=sys Table3 7

Premium Rate Lines

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the role of the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services in investigating malpractice in the telephone services industry.

Alun Michael: holding answer 26 May 2005
	The Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS) regulates premium rate services via a code of practice approved by the Office of Communications (Ofcom). ICSTIS fines service providers for breaching its code of practice and disconnects services which cause consumer harm.
	In the course of 2004, DTI asked Ofcom to review the regulation of premium rate services to ensure that the right level of protection is in place to protect consumers. Ofcom has now produced its report with recommendations designed to strengthen the enforcement powers and improve the effectiveness of the system of regulation. We are now working of ICSTIS to implement these recommendations as soon as possible.

Asylum and Immigration

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) immigration officers and (b) senior immigration officers (i) are in post and (ii) represent a full complement at (A) each terminal at Heathrow, (B) at each terminal at Gatwick, (C) Stansted and (D) Luton airport.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the following table:
	
		
			  Target Staff in post 30 April 2005 
		
		
			 Heathrow Terminal 1   
			 HMI/CIO 38.2 34.2 
			 IO 176.3 166.0 
			
			 Heathrow Terminal 2   
			 HMI/CIO 30 33.9 
			 IO 132.7 124.0 
			
			 Heathrow Terminal 3   
			 HMI/CIO 65.4 48.2 
			 IO 326.0 244.2 
			
			 Heathrow Terminal 4   
			 HMI/CIO 38 32.1 
			 IO 175.0 154.1 
			
			 Gatwick   
			 HMI/CIO 75.8 76 
			 IO 316.2 281.6 
			
			 Stansted   
			 HMI/CIO 23 22.2 
			 IO 94.4 101.2 
			
			 Luton   
			 HMI/CIO 6 2.4 
			 IO 29.0 25.4 
		
	
	A number of recruitment campaigns and associated training courses are taking place throughout the year to bring staff numbers up to target levels.
	"Senior immigration officer" has been taken to include chief immigration officer and immigration inspector.
	These figures are based on locally collated management information, which may be subject to change and were correct at 30 April 2005. It is not possible to split the Gatwick figure between the two terminals.

BB Guns

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the dangers posed by BB guns;
	(2)  what action he has taken to curb the threat posed by BB guns;
	(3)  what action he is planning to take to reduce the threat posed by BB guns.

Hazel Blears: We are looking very closely at the whole issue of controlling imitation firearms, including air soft guns (commonly referred to as "BB" guns).
	There is already a range of controls to tackle the misuse of these guns which cause real nuisance and can result in the deployment of armed police. To help combat the problem, the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 created a new offence of having an imitation firearm in a public place without reasonable excuse. This means that anybody seen in public with an airsoft gun can be challenged and, if unable to give a satisfactory explanation for having it, arrested. It is also a serious offence to threaten other people with imitation firearms.
	We have made it clear that we will not tolerate the use of imitation firearms to threaten and intimidate others and we will be proposing tougher laws on the sale and manufacture of all imitation firearms and tougher penalties for misuse in the proposed Violent Crime Reduction Bill.

Crime and Policing (Hammersmith and Fulham)

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on levels of (a) violent crime, (b) car crime, (c) robbery and (d) burglary in Hammersmith and Fulham constituency.

Hazel Blears: In 2003–04 in Hammersmith and Fulham the police recorded 1,146 robberies (down 10 per cent. from 2002–03), 2,074 burglary dwelling offences (down 5 per cent), 4,478 thefts of or from vehicles (down 20 per cent.), and 4,287 violence against the person offences (down 1 per cent.).
	The Government have established a number of targeted measures to continue to tackle crime in Hammersmith and Fulham. The area has been part of the Government's successful Street Crime Initiative, and has benefited from intensive national work to reduce vehicle crime and burglary and more recently to tackle violent crime through our alcohol harm reduction strategy and our work to tackle gun crime.

Illegal Cycling

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to strengthen the law relating to preventing off-road bicycles and quad bikes ridden illegally on private land, common land or public roads.

Paul Goggins: The Government has recently consulted on changes to road traffic legislation in the Review of Road Traffic Offences involving Bad Driving which was published on 3 February and ended on 6 May 2005. The proposals would apply to all motorised vehicles driven on public roads, including quad bikes. In addition the consultation paper asks whether the offence of "wanton and furious driving" which is the only offence that applies to non-motorised vehicles and private land, be replaced by a modern provision. We have had a large number of responses to the consultation. We are now in the process of carefully analysing all the responses received and we will publish a summary in due course.

Intervention Capital Fund

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much of the Intervention Capital Fund was allocated to social enterprises in each year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what criteria are used in allocating funding from the Intervention Capital Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: I understand the hon. Member is referring to the Adventure Capital Fund, for which a second investment window opens in July. Only Community Enterprises can apply. For Round Two funding they must be engaged in activities covering children and young people; crime reduction; drug prevention; employment initiatives; community care and mental health; or vocational training. They also need to focus on building strong, independent community-based organisations; capacity building; disadvantaged groups; building social capital; or provision of community-based services.
	The Adventure Capital Fund has provided funds (in the form of investments and also grants to help organisations become investment ready) to social enterprises with a community focus as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Amount 
		
		
			 2002–03  
			 Main investments 2,000,000 
			 Bursary grants 271,240 
			 Total 2,271,240 
			   
			 2003–04  
			 Main investments 2,126,640 
			 Business development grants 151,000 
			 Total 2,277,640 
			   
			 2004–05  
			 Main investments 1,580,000 
			 Business development grants 150,168 
			 Total 1,730,168

Police/Crime Statistics

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to reduce crime in Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Secretary of State has established a comprehensive programme of measures to tackle crime in Hertfordshire, as elsewhere in England and Wales.
	The 10 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) in Hertfordshire are responsible for the delivery of crime reduction at the local level. The performance of the CDRPs is managed by the Home Office team in the Government office for the east of England, whose role is to support and challenge the partnerships in their region. The director of this team is held accountable by the Crime Reduction Director in the Home Office through quarterly bilateral meetings, supplemented by performance review meetings with Home Office performance support managers in the intervening months.
	To ensure that the Home Office meets its Public Service Agreement one, 'to reduce crime by 15 per cent., and more in high crime areas, by 2007–08', the Government offices in the regions have negotiated crime reduction targets with all their partnerships. The aggregate target reduction across Hertfordshire is just over 15 per cent. to be measured by the British Crime Survey (BCS) Comparator using a baseline of 2003–04. The BCS Comparator is a subset of all recorded crime that relates closely to the questions in the BCS.
	All the Hertfordshire partnerships have planned their crime reduction activity for their three-year strategies, which they are implementing from April 2005. The Government office for the east of England will have monitored the contents of these strategies to ensure that they address crimes of both local and national concern.
	The Secretary of State has also initiated a number of national programmes to support the work undertaken at local level.
	Prolific and Priority Offenders—partnerships are required to identify the most prolific offenders in their area and focus their activity on them through three strands, prevent and deter, catch and convict, and rehabilitate and resettle. There are three prolific offender schemes running in Hertfordshire: North Hertfordshire, Watford and Hertsmere. In all 206 prolific offenders have been identified in Hertfordshire.
	The intensive elements of the Drugs Intervention Programme (DIP)—drug testing of offenders charged with a range of "trigger offences"—is a way of identifying drug users at an early stage of their contact with the criminal justice system. Key elements of DIP—the throughcare and aftercare parts of the programme—are delivered in all areas of England and Wales.
	Both the Acquisitive Crime Team and the Violent Crime Unit in the Home Office are developing policy that can be implemented at local level to support crime reduction activity. They also undertake research, disseminate publicity and good practice in their subject areas, and visit partnerships with particular needs .
	The Police Standards Unit (PSU) in the Home Office regularly monitors the performance of police forces and, within them, basic command units, and engages with forces who are underperforming on a range of indicators. Forces' performance against their peers is an important aspect of the assessment. PSU have not been engaged with Hertfordshire police.
	Hertfordshire constabulary had 2,135 police officers on 30 September 2004, 213 more than in March 2001. The Crime Fighting Fund has funded 113 extra officers in the force since April 2000, over and above the force's own recruitment plans. At the end of March Hertfordshire constabulary had 99 community support officers, supplementing the work of the force in providing reassurance to communities.
	The Home Office has made available to all police forces and CDRPs a statistical database, iQuanta, that enables them to monitor their crime reduction performance. Through the crime reduction website CDRPs are able to access 'toolkits' and examples of good practice to help them with planning crime reduction activity.

Watch Schemes

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) Neighbourhood Watch, (b) Shop Watch, (c) Pub Watch, (d) Farm Watch and (e) Rural Watch; and what plans he has to improve co-ordination between such Watch schemes.

Hazel Blears: It is difficult to determine exactly the impact of Neighbourhood Watch (and other Watch activity) on reducing crime in isolation from other factors. The 2000 British Crime Survey found that 75 per cent. of respondents thought that Neighbourhood Watch schemes were effective in preventing crimes such as burglary. The information was published in 2001 as part of Home Office Research Findings 150. The Home Office has not made a separate assessment of the effectiveness of Shop Watch, Pub Watch, Farm Watch, Rural Watch or other "Watch" schemes. Following a research and public consultation exercise in 2004, the Home Office is in the process of setting up a new national forum organisation which will act as an umbrella body for the Watch movement as a whole. The new organisation will be a registered charity and independent of Government. It will aim to share good practice within and between different Watch organisations and help to improve co-ordination between them.

A-level Grades

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of students obtaining three or more A grades at A-level were from (a) grammar schools, (b) state schools and (c) independent schools in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of students obtaining such grades in (i) mathematics, (ii) foreign languages and (iii) sciences were from each kind of school in each year.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested on the proportion of students obtaining three or more A grades at A-level by school type is in the following table.
	
		16 to 18-year-old candidates achieving at least three A grades at A-level—1995 to 2004
		
			  1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 
		
		
			 3 A grades in mathematics  
			 Number of students achieving 20 47 50 23 32 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 0.0 8.5 8.0 4.3 0.0 
			 in grammar 20.0 14.9 12.0 17.4 15.6 
			 in independent 80.0 74.5 68.0 69.6 71.9 
			 in FE sector 0.0 2.1 12.0 8.7 12.5 
			   
			 3 A grades in languages  
			 Number of students achieving 17 19 19 31 16 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 11.8 13.3 10.5 19.4 12.5 
			 in grammar 11.8 0.0 15.8 9.7 25.0 
			 in independent 41.2 40.0 26.3 38.7 31.3 
			 in FE sector 35.3 46.7 47.4 32.3 31.3 
			   
			 3 A grades in sciences  
			 Number of students achieving 611 621 729 802 900 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 19.1 19.3 22.2 17.6 21.0 
			 in grammar 14.2 138 15.5 15.6 18.7 
			 in independent 55.8 53.3 48.4 52.0 46.8 
			 in FE sector 10.8 13.5 13.9 14.8 13.6 
			   
			 3 A grades in any subjects  
			 Number of students achieving 12,698 13,305 14,065 15,874 16,550 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 28.1 28.6 28.4 28.6 29.0 
			 in grammar 12.9 12.7 13.4 14.0 14.7 
			 in independent 41.0 40.3 40.4 39.0 38.4 
			 in FE sector 18.0 18.4 17.8 18.4 17.9 
			   
			 3 A grades in languages, mathematics and sciences  
			 Number of students achieving 5,062 5,218 5,518 6,300 6,371 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 26.3 25.7 26.4 26.3 27.6 
			 in grammar 13.4 13.1 13.3 14.1 15.0 
			 in independent 45.1 46.0 45.0 44.3 43.2 
			 in FE sector 15.3 15.2 15.3 15.3 14.2 
			   
			 3 A grades in sciences and mathematics  
			 Number of students achieving 4,664 4,732 5,015 5,756 5,828 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 26.4 25.5 26.7 26.3 27.8 
			 in grammar 13.1 13.1 13.2 14.1 15.0 
			 in independent 45.2 46.3 44.9 44.3 42.9 
			 in FE sector 15.3 15.1 15.2 15.2 14.3 
		
	
	
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 3 A grades in mathematics  
			 Number of students achieving 33 29 39 51 50 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 6.1 3.4 10.3 0.0 0.0 
			 in grammar 12.1 3.4 17.9 7.8 10.0 
			 in independent 75.8 79.3 69.2 86.3 88.0 
			 in FE sector 6.1 13.8 2.6 5.9 2.0 
			   
			 3 A grades in languages  
			 Number of students achieving 20 16 28 45 34 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 10.0 6.3 10.7 11.1 8.8 
			 in grammar 10.0 6.3 17.9 2.2 2.9 
			 in independent 65.0 43.8 46.4 55.6 73.5 
			 in FE sector 15.0 43.8 25.0 31.1 14.7 
			   
			 3 A grades in sciences  
			 Number of students achieving 887 881 1,274 1,168 1,192 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 234 21.7 23.0 22.2 25.3 
			 in grammar 17.1 18.6 19.2 19.4 17.6 
			 in independent 45.4 46.5 43.5 46.1 45.0 
			 in FE sector 14.0 13.2 14.4 12.2 12.1 
			   
			 3 A grades in any subjects  
			 Number of students achieving 17,014 17,900 20,443 22,365 23,953 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 29.2 28.6 28.5 28.2 27.5 
			 in grammar 14.9 15.9 16.6 15.7 16.4 
			 in independent 38.2 37.3 37.5 37.7 37.7 
			 in FE sector 17.7 18.3 17.5 18.4 18.4 
			   
			 3 A grades in languages, mathematics and sciences  
			 Number of students achieving 6,201 6,309 6,991 6,963 7,368 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 26.9 27.2 25.8 25.6 24.6 
			 in grammar 15.3 16.1 17.9 16.5 17.1 
			 in independent 42.7 42.4 41.8 43.4 43.4 
			 in FE sector 15.1 14.3 14.5 14.5 14.8 
			   
			 3 A grades in sciences and mathematics  
			 Number of students achieving 5,657 5,695 6,236 6,161 6,556 
			 Percentage in comprehensive 27.3 27.7 26.5 26.1 25.2 
			 in grammar 15.1 15.9 18.1 16.9 17.4 
			 in independent 42.1 41.6 40.5 41.9 42.1 
			 in FE sector 15.4 14.8 14.9 15.1 15.2

Education

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take measures to provide all children in Hertfordshire with fully funded access to music classes at primary and secondary school levels.

Jacqui Smith: The National Curriculum provides all children aged 5–14 with a statutory entitlement to music lessons, giving them the opportunity to sing, to play musical instruments, to hear live and recorded music from a range of traditions and styles, to compose and to perform. Music can then be taken as an option at GCSE.
	In 1999 we established a Music Standards Fund of £59 million per year for additional musical activities outside the classroom. Activities funded include instrumental and vocal tuition, festivals and ensembles, instrument loan schemes and remissions policies.
	In 2000 we further pledged that, over time, all primary school pupils who want to should have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. We have now piloted a Key Stage 2 instrumental programme in 12 areas, including Hertfordshire. For 2005/06, Hertfordshire received £782,448 through the Music Standards Fund.

Foster Placements

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of foster placements ended in adoption in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The table shows the number and proportion of children ceasing to be looked after from a foster placement in England after being adopted in the years 2000–01 to 2003–04.
	
		Children ceasing to be looked after in a foster placement (19) , (20) , (21) Numbers and percentages
		
			  Year ending 31 March: 
			  2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Adopted by former foster carer(22) 430 550 540 510 
			 Foster placement ceased for other reason5,6 14,100 13,900 13,000 13,500 
			 Percentage of children ceasing care from a foster placement adopted 3.0 3.8 4.0 3.6 
		
	
	(19) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements.
	(20) Only the last occasion on which a child ceased to be looked after in the year has been counted.
	(21) Figures under 1,000 have been rounded to the nearest 10. All other figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
	(22) Figures are taken from the AD1 return.
	(23) Figures for 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2002–03 are derived from the SSDA903 one third sample.
	(24) Figures for 2003–04 are taken from the SSDA903 return, which for the first time since1996–97 covered all children looked after.
	Source:
	Table I 'Children Looked After in England (including adoptions and care leavers) 2003–04', Table Z 'Children Looked After by local authorities, Year Ending 31 March 2004'.

GCSEs

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils sat GCSE examinations in (a) science, (b) biology, (c) chemistry, (d) physics, (e) French and (f) history in each year since 1995.

Jacqui Smith: GCSE (Full Course) attempts 1 of 15-year-old pupils 2 in schools in selected subjects can be found in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of attempts(25) in year Single(28) Award Science Double(28)  Award Science Other4 6 Science Biological Sciences(29) Chemistry Physics French History 
		
		
			 2003/04(27) 54,977 479,528 2,732 44,755 43,037 42,447 289,549 205,399 
			 2002/03 53,035 474,451 2,745 43,623 40,865 40,064 304,472 194,801 
			 2001/02 51,662 466,469 2,785 40,526 39,067 38,640 311,847 193,945 
			 2000/01 49,896 464,403 2,977 40,456 38,797 38,455 321,207 195,231 
			 1999/2000 48,565 445,100 3,106 39,376 37,699 37,532 313,146 190,279 
			 1998/99 50,182 441,897 3,423 38,785 37,640 37,205 311,384 188,934 
			 1997/98 52,383 431,348 3,826 37,890 36,544 36,205 307,293 189,070 
			 1996/97 54,631 439,480 4,881 36,641 35,154 34,541 306,055 207,486 
			 1995/96 62,844 434,946 5,344 37,576 36,279 35,727 315,746 212,407 
			 1994/95 59,836 426,573 4,987 34,604 33,598 33,229 316,847 223,357 
		
	
	(25) For each subject, only one attempt per pupil is counted—that which received the highest grade.
	(26) The figures reported relate to pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August and therefore reaching the end of compulsory education at the end of the school year.
	(27) Numbers for 2003/04 are revised figures, for 1995/96–2002/03 are final figures.
	(28) Figures are not available for Science GCSE but we are able to provide figures for Single Award Science, Dual Award Science and Other Science.
	(29) Biological Sciences includes Human Biology and Social Biology.
	(30) Other Science includes: Science—Biology and Chemistry; Science—Biology and Physics; Science—Chemistry and Physics; Aeronautics; Agricultural Science; Applied Science; Astronomy; Botany; Electronics; Engineering Science; Environmental Science; Geology; Horticulture; Meteorology; Physical Science; Psychology (as a Science); Robotics; Rural Science; Science in society; Science Technology; Zoology.

Grants Per Pupil

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the Government grant per pupil in (a) primary and (b) secondary education in Torbay was for the most recent year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the Government grant per pupil in (a) primary and (b) secondary education was (i) in each region in England and (ii) for England as a whole in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The following table gives our most recent figures, for local education authorities in England in 2004–05, for the total funding per pupil in cash terms. These funding figures include funding through Education Formula Spending/Standard Spending Assessment and grants allocated at an LEA level; they also include the pensions transfer to EPS and to the Learning and Skills Council.
	
		England LEAs—funding per pupil in cash terms 2004–05 £
		
			   3 to10 years 11 to 15 years 
			   Total Total 
		
		
			  England 3,560 4,460 
			 
			  North East 3,540 4,480 
			 841 Darlington 3,420 4,310 
			 840 Durham 3,440 4,310 
			 390 Gateshead 3,560 4,570 
			 805 Hartlepool 3,610 4,570 
			 806 Middlesbrough 3,890 5,340 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 3,740 4,730 
			 392 North Tyneside 3,390 4,400 
			 929 Northumberland 3,350 4,240 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 3,580 4,500 
			 393 South Tyneside 3,700 4,590 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 3,530 4,520 
			 394 Sunderland 3,550 4,460 
			 
			  North West 3,500 4,400 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 3,860 4,780 
			 890 Blackpool 3,480 4,490 
			 350 Bolton 3,440 4,230 
			 351 Bury 3,340 4,190 
			 875 Cheshire 3,200 4,000 
			 909 Cumbria 3,410 4,190 
			 876 Halton 3,740 4,750 
			 340 Knowsley 3,960 5,130 
			 888 Lancashire 3,370 4,190 
			 341 Liverpool 3,880 4,980 
			 352 Manchester 4,110 5,320 
			 353 Oldham 3,640 4,520 
			 354 Rochdale 3,670 4,660 
			 355 Salford 3,700 4,720 
			 342 St. Helens 3,520 4,510 
			 343 Sefton 3,400 4,370 
			 356 Stockport 3,200 4,050 
			 357 Tameside 3,430 4,310 
			 358 Trafford 3,230 4,090 
			 877 Warrington 3,110 3,960 
			 359 Wigan 3,330 4,170 
			 344 Wirral 3,510 4,480 
			 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 3,470 4,350 
			 370 Barnsley 3,480 4,440 
			 380 Bradford 3,710 4,680 
			 381 Calderdale 3,440 4,300 
			 371 Doncaster 3,540 4,450 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 3,240 3,980 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 3,690 4,650 
			 382 Kirklees 3,530 4,430 
			 383 Leeds 3,440 4,420 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 3,460 4,370 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 3,410 4,270 
			 815 North Yorkshire 3,350 4,020 
			 372 Rotherham 3,500 4,390 
			 373 Sheffield 3,530 4,510 
			 384 Wakefield 3,310 4,140 
			 816 York 3,130 4,020 
			 
			  East Midlands 3,350 4,170 
			 831 Derby 3,500 4,450 
			 830 Derbyshire 3,250 4,020 
			 856 Leicester 3,860 4,670 
			 855 Leicestershire 3,100 3,860 
			 925 Lincolnshire 3,360 4,200 
			 928 Northamptonshire 3,300 4,140 
			 892 Nottingham 3,880 5,150 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 3,210 4,010 
			 857 Rutland 3,310 4,060 
			  West Midlands 3,450 4,340 
			 330 Birmingham 3,840 4,910 
			 331 Coventry 3,570 4,470 
			 332 Dudley 3,230 4,100 
			 884 Herefordshire 3,500 4,240 
			 333 Sandwell 3,660 4,580 
			 893 Shropshire 3,360 4,150 
			 334 Solihull 3,220 4,060 
			 860 Staffordshire 3,140 3,940 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 3,600 4,610 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 3,430 4,300 
			 335 Walsall 3,430 4,270 
			 937 Warwickshire 3,270 4,100 
			 336 Wolverhampton 3,660 4,730 
			 885 Worcestershire 3,140 4,000 
			 
			  East of England 3,430 4,300 
			 820 Bedfordshire 3,370 4,280 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 3,350 4,130 
			 881 Essex 3,460 4,360 
			 919 Hertfordshire 3,400 4,290 
			 821 Luton 3,820 4,850 
			 926 Norfolk 3,430 4,210 
			 874 Peterborough 3,640 4,560 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 3,520 4,490 
			 935 Suffolk 3,240 4,070 
			 883 Thurrock 3,700 4,820 
			 
			  London 4,350 5,440 
			 202 Camden 5,400 6,610 
			 203 Greenwich 4,800 6,060 
			 204 Hackney 5,470 7,310 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 5,240 6,640 
			 206 Islington 5,310 6,850 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 5,440 7,010 
			 208 Lambeth 5,370 7,280 
			 209 Lewisham 4,930 6,490 
			 210 Southwark 5,000 6,940 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 5,630 6,960 
			 212 Wandsworth 4,650 6,050 
			 213 Westminster 5,120 6,270 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 4,060 5,080 
			 302 Barnet 3,880 4,770 
			 303 Bexley 3,520 4,430 
			 304 Brent 4,470 5,730 
			 305 Bromley 3,520 4,500 
			 306 Croydon 3,820 5,000 
			 307 Haling 4,270 5,460 
			 308 Enfield 4,030 4,980 
			 309 Haringey 4,680 6,200 
			 310 Harrow 3,890 4,840 
			 311 Havering 3,480 4,480 
			 312 Hillingdon 3,770 4,700 
			 313 Hounslow 4,190 5,140 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 3,550 4,490 
			 315 Merton 3,890 4,910 
			 316 Newham 4,620 5,680 
			 317 Redbridge 3,750 4,580 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 3,530 4,550 
			 319 Sutton 3,620 4,510 
			 320 Waltham Forest 4,300 5,500 
			 
			  South East 3,440 4,340 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 3,410 4,490 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 3,620 4,570 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 3,430 4,310 
			 845 East Sussex 3,500 4,410 
			 850 Hampshire 3,300 4,150 
			 921 Isle of Wight 3,540 4,470 
			 886 Kent 3,470 4,400 
			 887 Medway 3,360 4,270 
			 826 Milton Keynes 3,570 4,490 
			 931 Oxfordshire 3,450 4,310 
			 851 Portsmouth 3,570 4,600 
			 870 Reading 3,760 4,960 
			 871 Slough 4,150 5,290 
			 852 Southampton 3,640 4,600 
			 936 Surrey 3,380 4,260 
			 869 West Berkshire 3,430 4,250 
			 938 West Sussex 3,360 4,190 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 3,470 4,400 
			 872 Wokingham 3,290 4,150 
			 
			  South West 3,290 4,120 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 3,160 3,960 
			 837 Bournemouth 3,230 4,070 
			 801 Bristol, City of 3,550 4,760 
			 908 Cornwall 3,390 4,120 
			 878 Devon 3,340 4,070 
			 835 Dorset 3,210 4,020 
			 916 Gloucestershire 3,230 4,040 
			 802 North Somerset 3,220 4,090 
			 879 Plymouth 3,310 4,190 
			 836 Poole 3,040 4,050 
			 933 Somerset 3,300 4,160 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 3,110 3,990 
			 866 Swindon 3,280 4,140 
			 880 Torbay 3,270 4,160 
			 865 Wiltshire 3,330 4,060

Homework

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidelines her Department has issued on homework in secondary schools for year (a) seven, (b) eight, (c) nine, (d) 10 and (e) 11.

Jacqui Smith: My Department issued the publication "Homework: Guidelines for Primary and Secondary Schools" in November 1998. This includes a chapter providing specific guidance on homework for secondary school pupils. We do not provide specific guidance for particular year groups.

Looked-after Children

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many looked-after children there are, broken down by local authority; and how many and what proportion of looked-after children experienced three or more placement moves in each year for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is published by the Department in tables 1 and 11 of "Children Looked After by Local Authorities, Year Ending 31 March 2004 Volume 2: Local Authority Tables". This is available on the internet at: http://www.dfes. gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000569/vweb01–2005 2.pdf

Popular Schools Expansion Programme

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which schools have applied for funding under the Popular Schools Expansion Programme, indicating in each case (a) whether this application has been successful, (b) the amount granted, (c) the number of additional places provided and (d) the cost of an additional place in each case.

Jacqui Smith: The following table shows, for each school which has applied for funding under the Successful and Popular Schools Programme, (a) whether the application has been successful, (b) the amount granted, and (c) the number of additional places provided. The cost of an additional place in each case is not held centrally, as funding is not analysed between the direct costs of an extra place and the costs of improving facilities used by the school as a whole.
	
		
			 School Application Amount granted £000 1 Number of additional places(32) 
		
		
			 Bury Church of England High School, Bury Successful 1,600 122 
			 Fairfield High School, Bristol City Successful 18,223 495 
			 Parrenthorn High School, Bury Successful 500 121 
			 Maiden Erlegh School, Wokingham Successful 2,000 35 
			 St. Mary's Catholic College, Wirral Successful 3,600 178 
			 Chingford Foundation School, Waltham Forest Successful Being finalised 201 
			 Bradon Forest School, Wiltshire In progress — — 
			 Old Swinford Hospital, Dudley In progress — — 
			 Wymondham College, Norfolk In progress — — 
			 Brownhills Community Technology College, Walsall In progress — — 
			 Highcliffe School, Dorset In progress — — 
			 Haydon School, Hillingdon In progress — — 
			 West Hatch High School, Essex Unsuccessful — — 
			 The Hayfield School, Doncaster Unsuccessful — — 
			 The King David Community School, Manchester Withdrawn — — 
			 Gordano Community School, North Somerset Unsuccessful — — 
			 St. John The Baptist School, Surrey Unsuccessful — — 
		
	
	(31) The total amount includes sums granted by the Department up to £500,000, and any further sum due from the local authority in respect of extra places. Further sums due from the local authority may also include major building work which is part of a wider project.
	(32) The number of additional places is calculated by subtracting numbers on roll from the proposed new capacity. The large increase for Fairfield High School includes additional pupils resulting from the reorganisation of several schools.

School Meals

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when (a) Lewisham local education authority and (b) schools in Lewisham are expected to receive extra funding to improve school meals.

Jacqui Smith: Over the three years 2005–07 to 2007–08, all maintained schools in England will receive a share of the £220 million set aside to help local education authorities and schools strengthen their support for healthy eating and to provide better quality food. Of this, £30 million each year will go to schools to help meet transitional costs involved in developing and improving their "whole school" approach to food. £30/50/50 million will go to LEAs to enable them to support schools with this process, with an emphasis on schools in deprived areas and schools starting from a low base.
	The first instalment of this additional funding will be available to schools and LEAs this autumn. Further details about the distribution of both grants between individual local authorities and schools will be announced in due course.

School Meals

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much will be made available to schools in Leeds to improve school meals over the next three years; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Over the three years 2005–07 to 2007–08, all maintained schools in England will receive a share of the £220 million set aside to help local education authorities and schools strengthen their support for healthy eating and to provide better quality food. Of this, £30 million each year will go to schools to help meet transitional costs involved in developing and improving their "whole school" approach to food. £30/50/50 million will go to LEAs to enable them to support schools with this process, with an emphasis on schools in deprived areas and schools starting from a low base.
	The first instalment of this additional funding will be available to schools and LEAs this autumn. Further details about the distribution of both grants between individual local authorities and schools will be announced in due course.

Secondary School Expenditure

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the expenditure per secondary school pupil was in (a) each inner London local education authority and (b) Southampton local education authority in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is contained within the following table. There are two main reasons for the difference in spending: first, most inner London authorities have more pupils living in deprived circumstances than Southampton and receive extra funding to reflect that. Inner London authorities also receive extra funding to reflect the high costs of recruiting and retaining staff.
	
		Secondary school based expenditure per pupil since 1997 in Southampton LEA and each inner London LEA £
		
			  Secondary school based expenditure(34) per pupil 2 
			 LEA name 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 3,4 2000–01 2001–02 2002–033,5 2003–04 5 
		
		
			 Southampton 2,420 2,540 2,730 2,840 3,190 3,360 3,760 
			 
			 Inner London(39)   
			 Camden 3,160 3,140 3,310 3,510 4,020 5,010 5,050 
			 Hackney 3,070 3,040 3,450 4,030 4,820 4,320 4,330 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,400 3,500 3,510 3,650 3,960 4,110 4,770 
			 Haringey 3,170 3,360 3,320 3,760 4,370 4,360 4,900 
			 Islington 3,170 3,120 3,320 3,970 4,750 4,800 5,060 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3,410 3,400 3,700 4,140 4,280 4,680 5,140 
			 Lambeth 3,290 3,530 3,510 3,400 3,490 4,890 5,250 
			 Lewisham 3,050 3,090 3,280 3,760 4,250 4,330 4,690 
			 Newham 2,820 2,880 3,110 3,730 4,100 4,120 4,370 
			 Southwark 3,040 3,270 3,620 3,730 5,160 4,620 4,950 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,200 3,380 3,830 4,370 4,950 4,860 5,400 
			 Wandsworth 2,640 2,750 3,270 3,600 3,930 2,800 3,830 
			 Westminster 3,050 3,140 3,440 4,100 4,810 4,620 4,940 
		
	
	(34) School based expenditure includes only expenditure incurred directly by the schools. This includes the pay of teachers and school-based support staff, school premises costs, books and equipment, and certain other supplies and services, less any capital items funded from recurrent spending and income from sales, fees and charges and rents and rates. This excludes the central cost of support services such as home to school transport, local authority administration and the financing of capital expenditure.
	(35) Pupil numbers include only those pupils attending LEA maintained secondary schools and are draw from the DES Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.
	(36) 1999–2000 saw a change in data source when the data collection moved from the RO1 form collected by the ODPM to the section 52 form from the DfES. 2002–03 saw a further break in the time series following the introduction of Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) and the associated restructuring of the outturn tables. The change in sources occurred between 1998–99 and 1999–2000, and 2001–02 and 2002–03.
	(37) The 1999–2000 figures reflect the return of grant maintained schools to local authority maintenance.
	(38) The 2002–03 and 2003–04 calculation is broadly similar to the calculation in previous years. However, 2001–02 and earlier years includes all premature retirement compensation (PRC) and Crombie payments, mandatory PRC payments and other indirect employee expenses, while in 2002 -03 and 2003–04 only the schools element of these categories is included. In 2001–02 this accounted for approximately £70 per pupil of the England total, while the schools element of these categories accounted for approximately £50 per pupil of the England total in 2002–03. Also, for some LEAs, expenditure that had previously been attributed to the school sectors was reported within the LEA part of the form in 2002–03 and 2003–04 and would therefore be excluded, though this is not quantifiable from existing sources.
	(39) Unit costs in Inner London LEAs are higher than in Outer London and other LEAs, because of higher expenditure on teachers' pay.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are reported in cash terms and rounded to the nearest £10 as reported by the LEA.
	2. City of London LEA has no LEA maintained secondary schools.

Sign Language Courses

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to increase the availability of courses teaching people to use sign language.

Maria Eagle: Information provided by the Council for the Advancement of Communication for Deaf People shows that in 2003–04 over 20,000 people were learning British sign language (BSL)—approximately 18,500 at level one, 400 at level two, 400 at level three and 200 at level four (including those studying at higher education (HE) institutions).
	It is recognised that the demand for BSL courses is currently greater than the supply of provision. The main contributory factor is the recognised shortage of BSL tutors. That is why some of the £1.5 million made available by Government to support the recognition of BSL as a European language is being used to fund six initiatives, which will contribute to establishing a Great Britain wide framework to support the recruitment, training and deployment of BSL tutors. The aim is to enhance numbers, status and levels of qualification. The Learning and Skills Council is currently discussing with the DWP how it might work in partnership to assist in the development of the national framework.
	Funding is also being made available to support four initiatives which will promote access for BSL users through awareness-raising among employers, among service providers and in the wider community.
	HE institutions are autonomous and so free to plan and deliver programmes as they wish. If they choose to run sign language courses, they may use funding provided through the HE Funding Council for England for this purpose. However, records are not kept centrally of the number of HE courses involving the teaching of sign language.

Work Force Training (Coventry)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance the Department provides in Coventry to promote a well-trained and skilled work force.

Phil Hope: Central Government provide substantial financial investment in training and skills through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for Coventry and Warwickshire. The LSC works with a range of partners, learning providers and employers. They have conducted an in-depth analysis of sector skills priorities in order to develop appropriate learning provision. The recent White Paper "Getting on in Business; Getting on at Work", announced a National Employer Training Programme which will tailor training solutions to meet the skills needs of employers and their employees. The LSC already works collaboratively with the Business Link in Coventry supporting employers to improve their businesses and they have recently developed Skillssolutions to enable employers to access a full range of information and advice to develop their businesses and staff.

Clementi Review

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to take forward the recommendations of the Clementi Review; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: My Department has already made a statement on taking forward the recommendations of the Clementi Review and I refer the hon. Member for Hendon to the earlier statement made by my predecessor, the hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr. Lammy) on 22 March 2005, Official Report, column 49WS.
	The Government remains committed to consumer focused reform of legal services regulation and has broadly accepted the main recommendations of the Clementi Review. We will publish a White Paper in the autumn, followed by a draft Legal Services Bill which is included in the 2005–06 legislative programme.

General Election

John Hemming: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many postal votes were issued for the general elections of (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) 2005; and how many were counted.

Harriet Harman: In the 1997 General Election, 937,205 postal ballots were issued, of which 737,995 (78.7 per cent.) were returned and included in the count. These details are taken from the House of Commons Paper "Election Expenses" (HC 260, session 1998–99).
	In the 2001 General Election 1,758, 055 postal votes were issued, of which 1,370,884 (78 per cent.) were returned and included in the count. These details are taken from the independent Electoral Commission's report "Postal votes, proxy votes and spoilt ballot papers at the 2001 general election".
	Copies of these publications are in the Library of each House. Information about postal votes and turnout at the 2005 General Election will be included in the Electoral Commission's report on participation and turnout, to be published later in the summer.

Immigration Tribunal

Harry Cohen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will take steps to ensure that the presentation of judgments in Immigration Appeals Tribunal cases is such that, when it determines that an application has no merit, the basis on which the Tribunal has considered the case as having no merit and the fact that the determination does not necessarily reflect the merits that the case may have but which fall outside the Tribunal's remit, are made clear; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) succeeded the Immigration Appellate Authority on 4 April 2005. The AIT procedure rules (SI No. 230 (L1.)) make provision that parties to an appeal hearing must be served with a written determination containing the appeal decision and the reasons for it. Similarly, where the AIT determines an application to reconsider the original Tribunal decision, the rules provide that the reasons for the decision, which may be in summary form, must be served in written form upon the parties to the appeal. Beyond these provisions, the approach as to form and content of determinations is a matter for the Tribunal judiciary.

Immigration Tribunal

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the current backlog of cases at the Immigration Tribunal is.

Bridget Prentice: The latest provisional information shows that at the end of March 2005 the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) had the following outstanding work: 25,304 Adjudicator appeals, 5,217 applications for permission to appeal to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal (IAT) and 4,783 substantive IAT appeal hearings. This covers all asylum and immigration work, including family visitor visas. There has been no backlog at the Adjudicator tier though there have been delays at the permission application and substantive appeal stages of the IAT. It is provisionally estimated that 2,000 IAT appeals were affected by these delays and could be classified as backlogged. On 4 April 2005 the commencement of section 26 of "The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004" introduced a unified appeals system under the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT). All outstanding work from the IAA and the IAT has been transferred to an equivalent appeal stage within the AIT.

Voting System

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans the Government have to change the voting system.

Harriet Harman: The Government remain committed to theirmanifesto commitment to reviewing the experience of the new electoral systems—introduced in the devolved administrations, the European Parliament and the London Assembly. The Government have no plans to change the voting system.

Civil Service

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether it is the policy of the Northern Ireland Civil Service to ensure a neutral working environment.

Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland Civil Service's Equal Opportunities Policy Statement asserts that
	"Everyone has a right to equality of opportunity and to a good and harmonious working environment and atmosphere in which all workers are encouraged to apply their diverse talents and in which no worker feels under threat or intimidated."

Crime

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the clear-up rate was for (a) domestic burglaries, (b) vehicle crimes and (c) assaults in (i) North Belfast and (ii) Northern Ireland in each year since 2001.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		Clearance rates recorded by the police Percentage
		
			 Offence type 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Northern Ireland 
			 Domestic burglary 9.7 9.7 11.1 13.4 
			 Vehicle crime 6.3 7.5 9.3 10.1 
			 Assault 44.6 49.0 55.8 50.8 
			  
			 North Belfast District Command Unit 
			 Domestic burglary 6.0 9.9 10.5 10.4 
			 Vehicle crime 4.2 5.9 5.0 6.2 
			 Assault 18.6 34.9 46.6 40.5

Diabetes

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on each Health and Social Services Board area's plans for a structural patient education programme for people with diabetes; and what funding has been allocated for each programme.

Shaun Woodward: Education for people with diabetes, to support them in managing their condition and help them to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle, was identified as a priority area for development by the CREST Taskforce. In 2004–05 the Department allocated an additional £l million for the development of services for people with diabetes and as a result a number of additional specialist staff have been appointed and these staff have an educational role as part of their overall professional responsibilities.
	There are a number of educational programme initiatives under way in Health and Social Services Board areas in hospitals and in the community. The Regional Diabetes Steering Group, set up to oversee the implementation of the recommendations made by the taskforce, will be considering what further action needs to be taken to further develop structural education programmes for people with diabetes throughout Northern Ireland.

Education Funding

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action is being taken by the Department to review funding levels in the education system.

Angela Smith: I met Education and Library Board chairs and chief executives on 26 May, and listened carefully to the concerns they expressed about the funding position. I have also visited a number of schools to see the position. I advised boards of the importance I attach to sound financial management to ensure that the maximum possible resources are provided for front line services. In that context I stressed the need for further development of collaborative working and shared services across boards and have reiterated my predecessor's commitment to make available initial funding of £0.5 million per board in 2005–06 to facilitate this. I await proposals from boards.

Hospital Consultants

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what incentives are being provided to attract hospital consultants in Great Britain to work in the Province.

Shaun Woodward: There are no incentives specifically offered to attract hospital consultants from Great Britain to take up appointment in the Health and Personal Social Services in Northern Ireland. However, Health and Personal Social Services employers may offer assistance with "reasonable" removal expenses to any hospital consultant relocating to Northern Ireland.

NHS Staff

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many days were lost through sickness of NHS staff in the Province in each of the last three years, broken down by profession.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			 Staff group Days lost 2002–03 Days lost 2003–04 Days lost 2004–05 
		
		
			 TC2 Administrative and Clerical 121,890 116,746.8 125,528.06 
			 TC3 Works and Maintenance 94,064 10,733.6 9,539.6 
			 TC4 Ancillary and General 140,080.3 142,630.5 146,064.2 
			 TC5 Nursing and Midwifery 270,001.8 264,628.4 274,197.3 
			 TC6 Social Work Staff 81,778.2 90,217.2 90,742.8 
			 TC7 Professional and Technical 53,320.5 53,808 55,283.1 
			 TC8 Medical and Dental 8,706.8 8915 9,079.3 
		
	
	The Eastern Health and Social Services Board and the Mater Hospital Health and Social Services Trust were unable to provide the information due to technical difficulties with their computer systems, and therefore have not been included in the above table.
	The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Services Trust were unable to furnish detailed breakdowns of the figures from 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 and 1 April 2003 to 30 September 2003. This was due to the methodology of recording absences at the time. The information is available from October 2003, shown in the following table. In addition the term "Others" include Administrative and Clerical staff (TC2), Ancillary and General (TC4) and Medical Staff (TC8).
	
		
			 Staff group Days lost 1 October 2003 to 31 March 2004 Days lost 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 
		
		
			 TC9 Emergency Personnel 5,355.12 7,583.9 
			 TC9 Non-Emergency Personnel 1,030.14 2,708.57 
			 TC9 Control 716.93 887 
			 TC2, 4 and 8 Others 1045.04 876.58

Paramilitary Violence

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many paramilitary-style attacks were carried out in each month of 2005; how many of these can be attributable to (a) Loyalist and (b) Republican paramilitaries; and how many people have been prosecuted as a result.

Shaun Woodward: The following table shows the type and number of paramilitary-style attacks for the period January to April 2005.
	
		Paramilitary attacks and assaults January to April 2005
		
			  Casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults Casualties as a result of paramilitary style shootings 
			 2005 By Loyalists By Republicans Total By Loyalists By Republicans Total 
		
		
			 January 5 4 9 4 4 8 
			 February 5 6 11 7 1 8 
			 March 5 5 10 4 — 4 
			 April 3 3 6 5 2 7 
			 Total 18 18 36 20 7 27 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. PSNI does not hold statistics relating to prosecutions in these matters as they are not in themselves specific criminal offences, more a description of attacks. The specific offences for which a person may be charged are many and varied.
	2. Attribution is as perceived by the PSNI based on the information available and does not necessarily indicate the involvement of a paramilitary organisation.
	3. April 2005 statistics are provisional and may be subject to minor amendment. No statistics are available yet for May.

Race Hate Crimes

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the steps he is taking to tackle race hate crime in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: The Government along with the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland abhors hate crime in all its manifestations and is taking positive and practical steps to tackle this. In particular the Government are currently considering its response to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee's report entitled the "Challenge of Diversity—Hate Crime in Northern Ireland".
	The Government have already introduced the Criminal Justice (No.2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 which directs the courts to take account during sentencing of any offence where there is evidence of hostility based on religion, race disability or sexual orientation. In addition the legislation increases the maximum sentences available for certain specified, mainly violent offences including where racial, religious or sexual aggravation is proven.
	Work is concluding on the development of the Racial Equality strategy, which will provide a framework for practical and protective measures to tackle hate crime and the causes of hate crime. This will be a joined-up strategy involving every part of Government working together to address this most serious issue. One of the practical outcomes of this will be the provision of additional support for the victims of this type of crime and taking forward work to have better information about hate crime incidents so that resources can be targeted to address them.
	Finally, the police are investing considerable time and effort in addressing race crime. Recent initiatives include the introduction of an on-line reporting system on the PSNI website as part of the "Hate Crime is Wrong campaign". The Police Service is determined to fully investigate all hate related incidents and where possible to secure sufficient evidence to prosecute offenders.

Renewable Energy

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent consultations have been carried out by his Department in relation to the development of renewable energy sources, particularly (a) wind, (b) water and (c) nuclear energy, in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment issued a general consultation paper on all renewable energy sources entitled "Realising the Potential", in October 2001. This was followed up, during 2004, with a series of two consultations relating to the introduction of the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation which is aimed at incentivisng the overall development of renewables in NI.
	There has been no consultation on nuclear energy in Northern Ireland.

Benefit Claims

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals claim both council tax benefit and disability benefit in England.

James Plaskitt: The most recently available information is in the table.
	
		Council tax benefit (CTB) recipients in England also in receipt of attendance allowance (AA), disability living allowance (DLA) or a disability premium: May 2003
		
			  Households 
		
		
			 CTB with AA/DLA 1,124,000 
			 CTB with a disability premium 1,145,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
	2. Council tax benefit data excludes any second adult rebate cases.
	3. Disability premiums included are disability premium, severe disability premium and enhanced disability premium.
	4. Many households receive both AA/DLA and a disability premium, so there will be some overlap between the figures.
	Source:
	Housing benefit and council tax benefit management information system, annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2003.

Incapacity Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the medical reasons were for claims for incapacity benefit in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is in the table.
	
		Incapacity benefit and severe disability allowance claimants by diagnosis group at the date as shown
		
			  29 February 2004 31 May 2004 31 August 2004 30 November 2004 
		
		
			 Claimants without any diagnosis code on the system 4,000 4,700 4,600 4,800 
			 Certain infectious and parasitic diseases 20,500 20,100 20,200 20,000 
			 Neoplasms 37,900 37,700 37,500 37,300 
			 Diseases of the blood and blood forming organs and certain diseases involving the immune mechanism 4,400 4,300 4,200 4,300 
			 Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases 38,500 38,300 38,500 38,300 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders 1,020,000 1,028,300 1,035,000 1,038,700 
			 Diseases of the nervous system 164,800 165,500 165,500 164,900 
			 Diseases of the eye and adnexa 19,700 19,500 19,300 19,400 
			 Diseases of the ear and mastoid process 12,300 12,400 12,100 12,300 
			 Diseases of the circulatory system 174,200 171,100 168,300 164,900 
			 Diseases of the respiratory system 68,400 67,400 66,400 65,500 
			 Diseases of the digestive system 41,600 41,600 41,800 41,000 
			 Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous system 16,000 15,800 15,500 15,600 
			 Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 529,500 523,200 517,800 513,500 
			 Diseases of the genitourinary system 18,400 18,300 18,600 18,500 
			 Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium 4,100 4,200 4,500 4,300 
			 Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period — — — — 
			 Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities 24,900 24,900 24,800 24,900 
			 Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified 326,100 323,600 322,800 322,900 
			 Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes 153,200 152,600 151,800 150,500 
			 Factors influencing Health status and contact with health services 35,000 35,200 35,000 34,800 
			 All 2,713,600 2,708,700 2,704,200 2,696,500 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	2. Figures include all incapacity benefit (IB), severe disability allowance and IB Contributions-only cases
	3. "—" denotes nil or negligible
	Source:
	Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample.

Local Housing Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what evidence his Department has collated of housing benefit recipients moving to different accommodation within the local housing allowance pilot areas.

James Plaskitt: The pathfinders are subject to a comprehensive, independent evaluation. Tenants' responses to the local housing allowance are one of the main streams of the evaluation.
	The final evaluation report is due to be published by the end of 2006 and a series of interim evaluation reports and summaries are being published before then. The first publication that relates to the tenants' experience "Claiming Housing Benefit in the Private Rented Sector: the baseline experience of claimants in the nine Local Housing Allowance Pathfinder areas" was published in September 2004. A copy is available in the Library. The result of the next phase of the claimant stream is expected to be published in July 2005.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the planned Pensions Commission Experts Conference on 21 June.

Stephen Timms: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, and I look forward to the opportunity this event presents to hear what the experts in the field have to say. It will provide valuable input to the Government's wider consensus-building programme.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had since 5 May with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on future pensions policy; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has regular discussions with my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer across the range of pension policy issues. The reforms we have introduced since 1997 have significantly improved retirement incomes for today's pensioners. However, changes in society mean that we cannot necessarily rely on the existing structures to provide the same outcomes as we move further into the 21st Century.
	The bedrock must be long-term security and stability. That is why it is important to build consensus among stakeholders, including the industry, trade unions and business. The work of the Pensions Commission, and the principles set out in our publication "Principles for reform: The national pensions debate", are crucial parts of the framework for building that consensus.

Public Service Agreements

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the current Public Service Agreement targets relating to housing benefit are.

James Plaskitt: Our current PSA targets were published in the "Department for Work and Pensions Departmental Report 2004", which is available in the Library.

Social Fund Community Care Grants

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average Social Fund Community Care Grant award was in (a) England and (b) each region in each year since 1997–98.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the tables.
	
		Social Fund Community Care Grants in England
		
			  Average award (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 335 
			 1998–99 351 
			 1999–2000 353 
			 2000–01 350 
			 2001–02 350 
			 2002–03 352 
			 2003–04 373 
			 2004–05 397 
		
	
	
		Social Fund Community Care Grants by Region 2004–05
		
			 Government office region Average award (£) 
		
		
			 East of England 388 
			 East Midlands 387 
			 London 481 
			 North East 374 
			 North West 370 
			 Scotland 375 
			 South East 401 
			 South West 361 
			 Wales 344 
			 West Midlands 383 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 387 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Average award sizes are based on initial expenditure and the number of initial awards.
	2. Data by Government Office Region (GOR) is not available for 2002–03 or 2003–04. Prior to 2002–03 a different district structure was in use.
	3. In 2004–05, a small area of the East Midlands GOR was administered for social fund purposes from a district within the North West GOR. Regional data is built up from District data. Therefore the data above for these two GORs may be slightly inaccurate.
	Source:
	Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

European Union

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the objectives of the Government's policy towards the European Union are.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 26 May 2005
	The United Kingdom is a firmly committed and engaged member of the EU. We are proud of the strong position Britain has achieved within Europe. British membership of the EU brings jobs, trade and prosperity, boosts environmental standards and social protection and brings greater international clout. We will take on the presidency of the EU on 1 July. Like any EU presidency, we will take forward the EU's agenda from those who preceded us. We will give particular attention to Africa and climate change and work to ensure that Europe adapts to the new global economic challenge, as my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in his written statement to this House on 26 May.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Sudanese authorities concerning the encirclement by Sudanese security forces of the town of Soba Aradi and the arrest of people there.

Ian Pearson: Following the deaths of three civilians and 14 police officers in the Soba Aradi Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Khartoum, on 18 May, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) issued a statement calling on all sides to prevent any further loss of life, and urging the Government of Sudan to respect the human rights of IDPs, protect its citizens and bring those responsible to justice. A copy of the statement is available at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/pressreleases/bennsoba-sudan.asp
	Following this incident, tensions in the camp remain high. Through our embassy in Khartoum we have been in regular contact with the Government of Sudan and have pressed them to investigate the incident, in consultation with the Joint (Government of Sudan—Sudan People's Liberation Movement) National Transition Team, and to take the necessary steps to prevent a recurrence in the future. We will continue to do so.
	We have repeatedly made clear to the Government of Sudan that all returns and relocations must be entirely voluntary and take place in full and prior consultation with the established international monitoring mechanisms.

Affordable Housing

Anthony Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many affordable homes have been (a) started and (b) completed in each of the last three years in the (i) Plymouth unitary authority area, (ii) Torbay unitary authority area and (iii) Devon county council area; and how much public funding has been made available to each authority for affordable housing projects in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many affordable homes have been (a) started and (b) completed in each of the last three years in (i) the Plymouth unitary authority area, (ii) the Torbay unitary authority area and (ii) the Devon county council area; and how much public funding has been made available to each for affordable housing projects in each of the last three years.

Yvette Cooper: The following table shows figures for Plymouth, Torbay and Devon county council on (a) affordable homes provided, (b) affordable homes started and (c) how much public funding has been made available to each of the above public authorities for affordable housing projects. Figures are provided for the last three years except for starts on site which are only available for 2004–05.
	
		
			  Plymouth Torbay Devon CC 1 
		
		
			 2002–03
			 Total funding (£ million) 4.654 2.136 17.928 
			 Affordable homes provided (units) 281 39 830 
			 
			 2003–04
			 Total funding (£ million) 8.807 3.950 23.574 
			 Affordable homes provided (units) 79 87 279 
			 
			 2004–05
			 Total funding (£ million) 6.203 1.730 12.473 
			 Affordable homes provided (units) 138 50 450 
			 Starts-on-site (units) 141 80 377 
		
	
	(43) Devon county council excludes Plymouth and Torbay unitary authorities.
	Source:
	Housing Corporation (figures are based on sponsoring local authorities)
	The table includes new build dwellings, acquisitions and refurbishments for both rent and low cost home ownership schemes through both the Approved Development Programme and Transitional Local Authority Social Housing Grant (TLASHG). The completion figures include units completed under TLASHG by with debt authorities, however spend on these schemes are not included in the funding figures.
	Funding and completions are not directly comparable, as funding will relate to projects running, not necessarily units completed, in any one year.

Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act

Nick Hurd: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made towards the implementation of the provisions of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002; and on what date he expects the regulations to come into force.

Yvette Cooper: The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 received Royal Assent in May 2002. Most of the provisions have now been introduced through a series of commencement orders.
	The first phase of leasehold reforms came into effect on 26 July 2002, with the second phase coming into effect in two parts on 30 September and 31 October 2003. These measures included: a relaxation of the qualifying rules to make it easier to buy the freehold or a new lease; a new no fault 'Right to Manage' provisions for leaseholders of flats to take over management of their block where they do not wish to or cannot afford to buy the freehold; and new procedures for consultation on service charges.
	A further commencement order brought into effect the provisions in Part 1 of the Act relating to Commonhold, on 27 September 2004. Commonhold is a new form of tenure for blocks of flats and other multi-unit properties, under which occupiers would own their units outright, and through a commonhold association own and mange the common parts collectively.
	Finally, another phase of the leasehold reforms was brought into effect on 28 February 2005. This provides leaseholders with better protection against forfeiture, and requires landlords to send a written demand for ground rent before it become payable. Leaseholders of houses can also now choose their own buildings insurance.
	The remaining provisions and Regulations of the Act, once enabled, would require collective enfranchisement to be exercised through an RTE company; require landlords to keep service charge monies for each group of service charge payers in separate (designated) accounts; require landlords to provide a regular (yearly) statement of account together with other relevant information; and require notices sent by landlords to tenants for administration charges to include content prescribed by Regulations. No timetable has yet been set to bring these provisions and Regulations into force.
	The Welsh Assembly has devolved responsibility for secondary legislation in respect of leasehold provisions in Wales. The Member may wish to write to that office in respect of the commencement orders for Wales.

Government Offices for the Regions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the estimated (a) total expenditure and (b) administrative costs of each Government office for the region in England in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) 2005–06.

Yvette Cooper: The information is as follows.
	(a) Programme budgets administered by the Government offices (GO) are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the relevant sponsor Departments. Prior to the formation of the Regional Co-ordination Unit (RCU) in 2000, details of Government office programme expenditure were not collated on a consistent basis. The RCU now compiles overall figures based on information produced for GO annual reports after the financial year has ended. The latest figures available are for 2003–04.
	
		Programme spend managed or influenced by Government offices
		
			 2003–04 £ billion 
		
		
			 North East 0.760 
			 North West 1.541 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 0.868 
			 West Midlands 1.185 
			 East Midlands 0.552 
			 East 0.834 
			 South East 0.742 
			 South West 0.472 
			 London 2.724 
			 Totals 9.678 
		
	
	(b) The administrative costs of each government office for the two years in question are as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			 Government office 1996–97 2005–06 
		
		
			 North East 8,687.15 12,250.32 
			 North West(44) 14,189.04 17,381.83 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 8,765.04 12,924.53 
			 West Midlands 10,040.37 13,641.12 
			 East Midlands 6,616.67 11,844.17 
			 East 6,168.97 12,708.11 
			 South East 8,406.18 14,398.28 
			 South West 7,140.74 14,239.00 
			 London (includes RCU admin. costs) 15,802.81 21,574.00 
			 Total 85,816.97 130,961.36 
		
	
	(44) North West and Merseyside were separate regions until 1998—though the combined figures are shown under North West for 1996–97

Government Offices for the Regions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to facilitate the production of (a) regional health strategies, (b) regional social strategies and (c) regional environmental strategies in each Government Office Region.

Yvette Cooper: The Government are committed to the regional tier where it adds value to the social, environmental and economic well being of their areas. There are already a number of regional strategies which, taken together, impact positively on regional health, social and environmental issues. In our manifesto we committed to
	"devolve further responsibility to existing regional bodies in relation to planning, housing, economic development and transport"
	and we shall bring forward plans to deliver this commitment.

Green Belt

Charles Walker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much of Hertfordshire's green belt has been released for development in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 25 May 2005
	The following table sets out the amount of development that took place in the Green Belt in Hertfordshire for each year from 1997 to 2003, a total of 312 Hectares as compared to 81 Hectares for the period 1990 to 1996. 2003 is the latest date for which figures are available. Over half of this development occurred on previously developed land, while the majority of development between 1990 and 1997 took place on previously developed land.
	
		Change of use of green belt land to developed from 1997 to 2003 in Hertfordshire
		
			  Hectares (figures rounded) 
		
		
			 1997 66 
			 1998 99 
			 1999 35 
			 2000 25 
			 2001 32 
			 2002 40 
			 2003 15 
		
	
	Source:
	ODPM LUCS database
	Over the same period there was a net change of 50 hectares of land removed from the Green Belt in Hertfordshire, leaving a total of 83,610 hectares of Green Belt in the county as a whole. 19,300 hectares of land were added to the Green Belt in England as a whole over the same period.

Green Belt

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what Green Belt designations the Government Offices of the Regions have consented to be (a) reduced and (b) deleted, since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: On 16 September 2004 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) published a Statistical Release entitled, "Local Planning Authority Green Belt Statistics, England 2003", which presents figures on the area of designated Green Belt in 2003. Table 2 of Annex 1 to the Release shows the recorded changes in area, including reductions, between 1997 and 2003, for regionally-listed, individual local planning authorities. No designated Green Belts were deleted during this period.
	The changes to designated Green Belt boundaries have been recorded only for authorities that have adopted new development plans since 1997. The statistics do not, therefore, include changes which may have been proposed to the extent of Green Belt in provisional, draft deposit plans, and which are still going through their statutory approval process.
	A copy of the Statistical Release is available in the Library of the House. It also appears on the ODPM website at: http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm planning/documents/page/odpm plan 031125.hcsp
	The Government expect to publish updated figures on the extent of, and changes to, the Green Belt in the autumn.

Homebuy Schemes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what steps the Government are taking to prevent speculative buyers from taking advantage of the Social Homebuy scheme;
	(2)  what assessment the Government have made of the amount of housing available for first time buyers wishing to participate in the Social Homebuy scheme.

Yvette Cooper: Social Homebuy is a new option to enable tenants of housing associations and local authorities to buy a share in their rented home. Full details of the scheme are set out in our consultation document "Homebuy—expanding the opportunity to own" which was published on 1 April.
	We are aware of the possible potential for exploitation and abuse. We will take this into account in finalising the details. The scheme will only be available to existing social tenants and we propose that tenants who sell within five years should repay the discount and that social landlords should have a right to buy back the property when the Social Homebuy purchaser wishes to move on.
	We are currently consulting on the social Homebuy proposal, which has not yet been introduced. Take up will depend upon the details of the scheme.
	The consultation period closes on 24 June and our aim is to have the scheme running by April 2006.

Homelessness

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what level of priority homelessness has had in each Government office region in England in each year since 1993.

Yvette Cooper: The number of households accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need under homelessness legislation in each Government office region during each year since 1993 is contained in the following table.
	After being accepted as owed a main homelessness duty, a household will be placed in some form of accommodation. They may be placed in temporary accommodation, until a settled solution becomes available, or they may be given a settled solution straight away depending on the accommodation available to the local authority. Alternatively, if possible, the household may remain in their current accommodation. In addition to estimates of statutory homeless households, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister publishes annual estimates of the number of people sleeping rough.
	
		Homeless households in priority need accepted(45) by local authorities, by Government office region
		
			  England North East North West Yorkshire and the Humber East Midlands 
		
		
			 1993 127,630 6,800 18,380 13,320 10,120 
			 1994 118,490 6,060 17,350 11,060 8,890 
			 1995 117,490 6,050 16,080 9,930 8,970 
			 1996 113,590 5,780 15,500 9,240 8,900 
			 1997 102,000 4,420 12,800 8,940 8,070 
			 1998 104,630 4,370 13,330 8,440 7,570 
			 1999 105,370 4,830 12,770 8,220 7,190 
			 2000 111,340 5,060 12,940 9,140 7,350 
			 2001 117,830 5,490 13,440 10,330 7,240 
			 2002 123,840 6,460 14,260 14,160 8,040 
			 2003 135,590 8,020 17,660 16,260 9,140 
			 2004 127,760 8,510 17,720 14,590 9,570 
		
	
	
		
			  West Midlands East of England London South East South West 
		
		
			 1993 16,440 9,000 31,570 12,630 9,370 
			 1994 15,890 8,490 28,690 12,850 9,210 
			 1995 17,510 8,730 26,690 13,570 9,960 
			 1996 16,240 8,670 25,730 13,700 9,830 
			 1997 14,500 8,020 24,370 12,080 8,780 
			 1998 14,210 8,660 26,310 12,840 8,910 
			 1999 13,340 8,570 28,380 12,620 9,480 
			 2000 13,660 9,420 28,230 14,420 11,170 
			 2001 14,320 10,310 30,590 14,760 11,380 
			 2002 14,780 10,830 28,830 14,220 12,280 
			 2003 15,690 11,290 30,510 15,240 11,770 
			 2004 15,080 10,680 28,050 13,460 10,100 
		
	
	(45) Households found to be eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in a priority need group during the year, and consequently owed a main homelessness duty by a local housing authority.
	Notes:
	1. Figures prior to 1997 reflect decisions under the 1985 Housing Act; decisions from 1997 were made under the 1996 Housing Act, plus residual 1985 Act cases.
	2. Regional figures may not sum to England totals because of rounding
	Source:
	ODPM P1E homelessness returns (quarterly)

Housing

Anne Main: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether, in setting the housing targets for St. Albans (a) calculations of the volume of water supply available from aquifers, (b) the amount of water needed to supply existing and additional properties and (c) the impact of water extraction on local rivers, including the Ver, were (i) made and (ii) taken into account; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Future house building targets for St. Albans will be determined through the current review of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England. In making recommendations on the appropriate housing targets, the panel established to conduct the Examination in Public into the draft Regional Spatial Strategy will need to have regard to water supply constraints and any potential environmental impacts of supplying additional water.

Housing

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many people who live within the Swale borough council area have (a) applied for funding and been successful, (b) applied and been refused funding and (c) applied and been put on a waiting list under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996;
	(2)  how much funding for housing Swale borough council has received in each financial year since the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 came into force.

Yvette Cooper: Government funding in support of Swale borough council's housing capital investment programme since 1996 has been as follows.
	
		
			 £000 
			  Supported Borrowing Disabled Facilities Grant Private Sector Renewal Grant Total 
		
		
			 1997–98 475 408 761 1,644 
			 1998–99 822 203 903 1,928 
			 1999–2000 841 223 824 1,888 
			 2000–01 1,464 242 0 1,706 
			 2001–02 1,270 240 0 1,510 
			 2002–03 1,238 276 0 1,514 
			 2003–04 987 420 0 1,407 
			 2004–05 1,176 420 0 1,596 
			 2005–06 1,222 412 0 1,634 
		
	
	From 2000–01 Government support for private sector housing renewal grants was no longer ring fenced and was included in the total for supported borrowing.
	The Government do not collect centrally the number of applications for renewal grants or information on waiting lists. The number and the total value of renewal grants under the 1996 Act completed in Swale in each year since 1997 is as follows:
	
		Private sector housing renewal assistance given in Swale (including DFGs)
		
			   Total number of grants completed Total local authority expenditure on grants (£000) 
		
		
			 1997–98 474 1,720 
			 1998–99 717 1,840 
			 1999–2000 679 1,971 
			 2000–01 309 1,138 
			 2001–02 306 1,225 
			 2002–03 244 851 
			 2003–04 263 1,093

Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) financial allocation and (b) out-turn expenditure of each of the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder areas in England was in 2004–05.

Yvette Cooper: The details of the financial allocation and actual out-turn for Market Renewal Pathfinders for 2004–05 are set out in the following table:
	
		2004–05
		
			   £ million 
			 Pathfinder Allocation Outturn 
		
		
			 Urban Living (Birmingham Sandwell) 14.850 13.649 
			 Elevate (East Lancashire) 22.840 22.840 
			 Hull and East Riding 2.640 2.640 
			 Manchester Salford 44.000 44.000 
			 Newheartlands (Merseyside) 34.350 34.350 
			 Bridging NewcastleGateshead 28.000 28.000 
			 Renew (North Staffordshire) 7.000 7.000 
			 Oldham and Rochdale 17.150 17.150 
			 Transform South Yorkshire 27.400 27.400

Local Government

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the (a) specific grants and ringfenced funding streams, (b) special grants and (c) non-ringfenced grants which the Government (i) allocated to local authorities in 2004–05 and (ii) expects to allocate in 2005–06.

Phil Woolas: The following table lists all grants allocated to local authorities in England in 2004–05 and grants allocated so far in 2005–06 within Aggregate External Finance (AEF) in addition to Revenue Support Grant and National Non-Domestic Rates. There are other grants outside AEF but these are not provided for an authority's core services and relate, in the main, to areas of funding which are passed on by local authorities, such as Learning and Skills Council grants for adult education and sixth forms.
	
		Amount (£ million)
		
			 Grant 2004–05 2005–06 Ringfenced 
		
		
			 Grants made under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 
			 Excellence in Cities 260.6 355.3 No 
			 Excellent and 3(50) Education 30.5 50.1 No 
			 Teachers Pay Reform 0.0 908.4 No 
			 Choice Protects 33.0 60.0 Yes 
			 Adoption Support and Special Guardianship 23.0 32.0 Yes 
			 Safeguarding Children 90.0 90.0 No 
			 Teenage Pregnancy Local Implementation 32.4 32.4 Yes 
			 Change Fund 7.0 8.0 No 
			 Waste Re-cycling Challenge 90.0 45.0 Yes 
			 Waste Targeted Grant 20.0 0.0 No 
			 Waste Performance and Efficiency Pt. 1 0.0 40.0 No 
			 Waste Performance and Efficiency Pt. 2 0.0 5.0 Yes 
			 Fire Transitional Funding 28.3 0.0 Yes 
			 Fire Pay Verification 0.8 0.0 Yes 
			 New Dimension Crewing 0.0 16.0 No 
			 LFEPA Civil Contingencies 0.0 0.6 No 
			 Planning Delivery 130.0 116.0 No 
			 Planning Delivery (Capital) 32.5 39.0 No 
			 Supporting People Administration 48.1 40.0 No 
			 Rural Bus Subsidy 51.0 53.0 No 
			 Homelessness Strategies 45.4 42.9 No 
			 Homelessness Strategies (Capital) 14.0 0.0 No 
			 Private Finance Initiative 429.0 425.0 No 
			 Neighbourhood Renewal Fund 450.0 525.0 No 
			 LPSA Reward Grant(50) 101.0 196.0 No 
			 LPSA Reward Grant (Capital)(50) 126.0 233.0 No 
			 Arson Control Forum 4.3 4.2 No 
			 Community Fire Safety Innovation Fund 1.5 2.0 No 
			 Home Fire Risk Check (Capital) 5.0 5.0 No 
			 Grants made under other specific powers 
			 Standards Fund (excluding Excellent/3(50)) 1,316.0 1,402.7 Yes 
			 Sure Start General Grant 363.5 446.1 Yes 
			 Sure Start General Grant (Capital) 40.1 306.5 Yes 
			 Teachers' Pay Reform 825.6 0.0 Yes 
			 Leadership Incentive 195.9 202.1 Yes 
			 Education Action Zones 37.4 0.0 Yes 
			 Transitional Support 121.5 60.9 Yes 
			 School Standards 859.1 912.0 n/a 
			 UASC Leaving Care 12.0 12.0 Yes 
			 Carers Grant 125.0 185.0 No 
			 Training Support 53.3 0.0 No 
			 Improving Information Management (Capital) 25.0 25.0 Yes 
			 National Training Strategy 31.0 87.9 No 
			 Preserved Rights 458.3 348.2 No 
			 Residential Allowance 409.5 214.5 No 
			 Treatment Foster Care 3.0 3.0 Yes 
			 Children's Trusts 3.2 3.2 Yes 
			 Regional Development Workers 1.0 1.0 Yes 
			 Human Resources Development Strategy 23.9 59.8 No 
			 Access and Systems Capacity 486.0 584.0 No 
			 Children and Adolescent Mental Health 64.0 84.8 Yes 
			 Young People's Substance Misuse Planning 4.5 4.5 Yes 
			 Mental Health 133.0 132.0 Yes 
			 AIDS Support 16.5 16.5 Yes 
			 Delayed Discharge 100.0 100.0 No 
			 Police Grant 4,167.9 4,352.6 No 
			 Police Grant (Capital) 270.0 272.0 No 
			 Crime Fighting Fund 267.0 265.1 Yes 
			 Rural Policing Fund 26.0 25.6 No 
			 Neighbourhood Policing Fund 12.0 33.9 Yes 
			 Occupational Health 4.7 4.0 No 
			 Police Negotiating Board 48.0 66.0 Yes 
			 DNA 50.0 43.6 Yes 
			 Basic Command Units 48.0 47.7 Yes 
			 London and South East Allowances 49.0 55.0 No 
			 London Travel 3.0 3.0 No 
			 Community Support Officers 39.0 47.0 Yes 
			 Special Constables 6.6 0.0 Yes 
			 Street Crime Initiative 25.0 5.0 Yes 
			 Reform Deal 4.7 4.0 Yes 
			 Neighbourhood Wardens 19.0 8.1 Yes 
			 Supporting People 1,807.0 1,714.9 Yes 
			 Magistrates Courts 371.9 0.0 No 
			 Detrunking 33.3 37.0 No 
			 Bus Challenge and Kickstart 32.7 29.0 Yes 
			 Beacons 5.0 5.0 No 
			 Community Cohesion Pathfinder 0.4 0.0 Yes 
			 GLA General Grant 36.3 37.5 No 
		
	
	(50) LPSA Reward Grant—this is the maximum provision as specified in individual councils LPSAs, and "allocations" will depend on performance.

Local Government

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average change in total Government grant per capita for (a) district councils, (b) county councils, (c) metropolitan councils, (d) unitary councils, (e) London boroughs, (f) fire authorities and (g) police authorities was in England in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Percentage
		
			  1998–99  to 1999–2000 1999–2000  to 2000–01 2000–02  to 2001–02 2001–02  to 2002–03 2002–03  to 2003–04 2003–04  to 2004–05 
		
		
			 London (excluding GLA) 6.0 6.7 4.4 4.7 12.3 2.4 
			 Metropolitan authorities 7.3 7.7 7.2 5.6 16.1 2.3 
			 Unitary authorities 6.5 8.1 6.3 6.3 16.5 -0.3 
			 Shire counties 6.2 8.7 7.1 4.8 13.0 2.8 
			 Shire districts 1.8 3.1 4.5 5.1 10.7 -8.5 
			 Fire authorities 3.6 2.3 3.0 2.4 4.5 -42.8 
			 Police authorities 2.3 4.5 6.0 2.4 7.3 2.3 
		
	
	The data used to calculate the changes are taken from data as reported by local authorities; they are outturn figures for 1998–99 to 2003–04 and budget estimates for 2004–05.
	Changes between years may not be valid due to changing local authority responsibilities. For example, the decrease for fire authorities between 2003–04 and 2004–05 is due partly to the lower levels of grant per capita received by combined fire authorities compared with other fire authorities. Before 2004–05 grants were not paid directly to combined fire authorities and so these were not included in the figures for earlier years.

Safer Stronger Communities Fund

John Hemming: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the forecast spending on the Safer Stronger Communities Fund is for financial years (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07 and (c) 2007–08.

Yvette Cooper: The forecast spending on the Safer Stronger Communities Fund for the financial years 2005–08 are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  A minimum forecast 
		
		
			 (a) 2005–06 210 
			 (b) 2006–07 220 
			 (c) 2007–08 230

Charing Cross and Hammersmith Hospital

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans there are to update facilities at Charing Cross hospital;
	(2)  what plans there are to update facilities at Hammersmith hospital.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 26 May 2005, Official Report, column 217W.

Chase Farm Hospital

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she is taking to reduce waiting times at Chase Farm Hospital; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Government are committed to reducing waiting times for treatment. The national health service, including Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trust, is working towards achieving a maximum six-month wait for in-patient treatment and three months for an out-patients appointment by December 2005. By 2008, no one will have to wait longer than 18 weeks from general practitioner referral to hospital treatment.
	Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust plans to open a new £4 million surgi-centre at the end of June 2005. This will provide treatment to 3,000 patients a year and support the trust in achieving waiting time targets.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what referral mechanisms are in place for (a) South West London and St. George's NHS Trust and (b) Kingston Primary Care Trust to access chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis centres and support teams in the region; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The South West London and St. George's Mental Health Trust can refer patients to the chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME) service based at the Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. For patients who are very disabled, specialist placement is funded by the relevant primary care trust (PCT) and is decided by their multidisciplinary placement panels, for which a psychiatric report is usually required.
	Kingston PCT can access the CFS/ME service, based in the Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. The PCT has a long standing service level agreement with the South London and Maudsley Mental Health Trust and Barts and The London NHS Trust.

Clinical Staff (Hertfordshire)

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she is taking to retain experienced clinical staff in Hertfordshire's NHS trusts; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are committed to working with all national health service employers to support the NHS to recruit and retain its workforce. This includes experienced clinical staff in Hertfordshire.
	A range of initiatives is being used locally by all NHS organisations to retain their staff. These include Improving Working Lives and childcare.
	Improving Working Lives requires NHS organisations to commit to and deliver modern employment practices that support staff and enable them to have a healthy work-life balance. It covers a number of good practice areas, including training and development, equality and diversity, healthy workplaces, flexible working, and flexible retirement. The NHS childcare strategy is part of the Improving Working Lives programme, which also includes a number of discrete initiatives directly aimed at improving the working lives of doctors, such as the flexible careers scheme.

Continuing Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases have been subject to review as part of the NHS continuing care restitution review; how many were found to be eligible for NHS continuing care; how many of those not found eligible subsequently took their case to the Health Ombudsman; and what the result was in each case.

Liam Byrne: Details of the review's progress were presented to the House in a written statement by my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman) on 16 September 2004, Official Report, columns 175–76WS. Of the 11,655 requests for investigations received by 31 March 2004, 86.1 per cent. had been investigated, with 1,796 being found eligible for recompense. No later data are available. The Department does not collect data about the number of people who subsequently took cases to the Health Ombudsman.

Departmental Staffing

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed in her Department (a) in 2004 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available to undertake policy work as part of the "Valuing People" programme; what plans she has for future staffing levels; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 26 May 2005
	In May 2004, 11 staff worked on learning disability policy.
	The Department has reorganised the way it works in all policy areas and reduced in size in consequence. Policy on learning disability is clearly expressed and set out in the "Valuing People" White Paper. As new policies need to be developed, extra resources will be brought in as necessary from a pool of staff that currently numbers 40. In both years, 14 staff in the "Valuing People" support team have been responsible for supporting implementation of the policy. Currently four staff devote a proportion of their time to learning disability issues.
	The Department of Health and other Government Departments are undertaking a number of projects on wider areas of work. These include the adult services Green Paper, "Independence Well-Being and Choice", the Prime Minister's strategy unit report, "Improving Life Chances for Disabled People", the Mental Capacity Act implementation and the "Supporting People" programme. These all benefit people with learning disabilities, although they are not exclusively for this client group.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what research her Department has commissioned into developing a therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how much funding her Department has committed for research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2005–06;
	(3)  what assessment her Department has made of the clinical trials being carried out in the development of a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: In 2004, the Department announced £1.6 million funding, from the Genetics White Paper, for a four year project which aims to address the cause of muscular dystrophy.
	The main part of the Department's expenditure on health research is allocated to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual projects supported in the NHS, including a number concerned with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, can be found on the national research register at www.dh. gov.uk/research.
	It would not be appropriate for the Government to make assessments of ongoing clinical trials.

General Practitioners

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there are in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) England per head of population.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table. The latest available strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT) population data is for 2003.
	
		All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(54) per 100,000 head of population for Bedford and Hertfordshire SHA by PCT, 2003–04 Number (headcount)
		
			   2003 2004 
			   All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) Population Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) per 100,000 head of population Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) Population All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) per 100,000 head of population 
		
		
			 England  30,358 49,855,700 61 31,523 50,056,900 63 
			 Q02 Bedford and Hertfordshire PCT 949 1,614,700 59 998 n/a n/a 
			 5GD Bedford 88 149,900 59 97 n/a n/a 
			 5GE Bedfordshire Heartlands 143 238,700 60 152 n/a n/a 
			 5GW Dacorum 92 138,000 67 92 n/a n/a 
			 5CP Hertsmere 48 93,800 51 50 n/a n/a 
			 5GC Luton 97 185,200 52 105 n/a n/a 
			 5GH North Hertfordshire and Stevenage 99 181,400 55 105 n/a n/a 
			 5GK  Royston, Buntingford and Bishops Stortford 39 71,000 55 41 n/a n/a 
			 5GJ South East Hertfordshire 104 163,900 63 103 n/a n/a 
			 5GX St. Albans and Harpenden 79 131,600 60 83 n/a n/a 
			 5GV Watford and Three Rivers 106 163,300 65 109 n/a n/a 
			 5GG Welwyn Hatfield 54 97,900 55 61 n/a n/a 
		
	
	(54) General Medical Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes contracted GPs, general medical service (GMS) others and personal medical service (PMS) others. Prior to September 2004, this group included GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors (para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
	n/a = not available
	Data as at 30 September.
	Source:
	National Health Service Health and Social Care Information Centre GMS and PMS statistics.
	2001 ONS Population Census.

Health Service Trust Deficits

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the financial deficit of York and Selby NHS primary care trust was on the latest date for which figures are available; what assessment she has made of the reasons for the accumulation of the deficit; and if she will provide assistance to the trust to enable it to eradicate the deficit without reducing the number of staff or the standard and availability of services;
	(2)  what the financial deficit of South Tees hospitals NHS trust was on the latest date for which figures are available; what assessment she has made of the reasons for the accumulation of the deficit; and if she will provide assistance to the trust to enable it to eradicate the deficit without reducing the number of staff or the standard and availability of local services;
	(3)  what the financial deficit of Craven, Harrogate and Rural districts NHS primary care trust was on the latest date for which figures are available; what assessment she has made of the reasons for the accumulation of the deficit; and if she will provide assistance to the trust to enable it to eradicate the deficit without reducing the number of staff employed or the standard and availability of local services;
	(4)  what the financial deficit of Teesside, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (TENYAS) was on the latest date for which figures are available; what assessment she has made of the reasons for the accumulation of the deficit; and if she will provide assistance to TENYAS to enable it to eradicate the deficit without reducing the number of staff employed or the standard and availability of local services.

Liam Byrne: Selby and York primary care trust (PCT) is forecasting an outturn deficit of £6.9 million in 2004–05. Craven, Harrogate and Rural district PCT is not forecasting a deficit for 2004–05. Tees and East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service national health service trust is forecasting that it will break even in 2004–05 having received planned brokerage of £2.6 million from the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire strategic health authority (SHA). The Selby and York PCT's three year (iterative) financial recovery plan was presented to the PCT board on 17 May 2005 and approved. The South Tees hospitals NHS trust is forecasting a deficit of £9 million as at 31 March 2005, as opposed to a mid-year forecast deficit of £12 million. In addition, £12 million brokerage has also been provided by County Durham and Tees Valley SHA. A detailed recovery plan is to be presented to the trust board meeting on 7 June.
	In the current financial year, allocations to PCTs in the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire SHA area have increased by £135 million. Allocations to PCTs in the County Durham and Tees Valley SHA area have increased by £114 million.
	It is now the responsibility of SHAs to deliver both overall financial balance for their local health communities and to ensure each organization achieves financial balance. However, there is a degree of flexibility in how this is managed at a local level. In circumstances where a surplus or underspend cannot be generated in the following year, SHAs can agree to a recovery plan which phases the recovery of deficits over a number of years.

Hospitals (Shropshire)

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent administrative staff have been employed at (a) the RJ and AH Orthopaedic hospital, Gobowen, (b) the Princess Royal hospital, Telford and (c) the Royal Shrewsbury hospital in the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		National health service hospital and community health services: administrative staff by level in each specified NHS trust as at 30 September each specified year
		
			  Total specified staff Senior manager Manager Clerical and administrative staff 
		
		
			 2000 
			 Total specified organisations 682 16 42 624 
			 RKF The Princess Royal hospital NHS trust 200 2 19 179 
			 RLZ Royal Shrewsbury hospitals NHS trust 340 8 11 321 
			 RL1 Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District hospital NHS trust 142 6 13 124 
			 RXW Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals NHS trust n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  
			 2001 
			 Total specified organisations 733 18 46 669 
			 RKF The Princess Royal hospital NHS trust 217 5 21 191 
			 RLZ Royal Shrewsbury hospitals NHS trust 369 8 13 348 
			 RL1 Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District hospital NHS trust 146 5 12 130 
			 RXW Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals NHS trust n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  
			 2002 
			 Total specified organisations 866 24 42 801 
			 RKF The Princess Royal hospital NHS trust 249 6 20 223 
			 RLZ Royal Shrewsbury hospitals NHS trust 435 9 13 413 
			 RL1 Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District hospital NHS trust 182 9 9 165 
			 RXW Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals NHS trust n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  
			 2003 
			 Total specified organisations 920 20 52 848 
			 RKF The Princess Royal hospital NHS trust 264 5 23 237 
			 RLZ Royal Shrewsbury hospitals NHS trust 456 8 12 436 
			 RL1 Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District hospital NHS trust 200 7 18 176 
			 RXW Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals NHS trust n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  
			 2004 
			 Total specified organisations 968 42 47 880 
			 RKF The Princess Royal hospital NHS trust n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 RLZ Royal Shrewsbury hospitals NHS trust n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 RL1 Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District hospital NHS trust 223 20 16 187 
			 RXW Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals NHS trust 745 22 30 693 
		
	
	Notes:
	n/a = not applicable.
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.
	2. Senior managers and managers are staff with overall responsibility for budgets, manpower or assets, or accountable for a significant area of work. Senior managers include staff at executive level and those who report directly to the board.
	3. These staff are essential to the smooth running of hospitals, trusts and strategic health authorities. This excludes nursing, scientific, therapeutic and technical and ambulance managers in posts requiring specific clinical qualifications.
	4. Clerical and administrative includes staff working in central functions. The group includes areas such as personnel, finance, information technology, legal services, library services, health education and general management support services.
	5. It also includes staff working as direct support to qualified clinical staff such as medical secretaries and medical records officers.
	Source:
	Health and social care information centre non-medical workforce census.

Intensive Care

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether guidance has been issued on the maximum permissible length of time between a patient being admitted to an intensive care unit and being reviewed by a consultant intensivist;
	(2)  whether NHS trusts are required to record delays in admission to intensive care units as critical incidents through their relevant incident monitoring system.

Liam Byrne: The Department has not issued guidance on the length of time between admission to an intensive care unit and review by a consultant intensivist. In terms of more general guidance on the management of admissions and discharges for critical care services, national health service trusts are expected to take into account the Department's current guidance issued in May 2000, "Comprehensive Critical Care—A Review of Adult Critical Care Services" and standards developed by the Intensive Care Society. The Department's guidance can be found at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/08/28/72/04082872.pdf

Maternity Services (HIV Treatment)

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will issue guidance to the NHS that antenatal and maternity services, including HIV treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission, must be made available to all women, regardless of their immigration status or ability to fund the treatment.

Liam Byrne: A person who has formally applied for asylum is entitled to national health service treatment without charge for as long as their application (including appeals) is under consideration, including treatment for HIV and antenatal and maternity services.
	Guidance on how to handle the provision of maternity services to women not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom is contained in the document, "Implementing the Overseas Visitors Hospital Charging Regulations: Guidance for NHS Trust Hospitals in England", issued to all trusts in April 2004.
	In response to a recommendation from the Health Select Committee in its recent report, "New Developments in Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Policy", the existing guidance was re-issued to trust overseas visitors managers on 16 May 2005. This confirmed that, because of the seriousness of potential risks to mother and baby, maternity services should be treated as immediately necessary treatments and provided without delay. This could include HIV treatment if considered clinically appropriate.

Mental Health

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the total number of people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 (a) aged under 16 years and (b) aged between 16 years and 18 years, have been detained on adult psychiatric wards in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not centrally available. Placing adolescents on adult psychiatric wards is sometimes necessary and acceptable for clinical and practical reasons. The children's national service framework (NSF) sets a standard that:
	'. . . young people who require admission to hospital for mental health care have access to appropriate care in an environment suited to their age and development'.
	It advises that if a bed in an adolescent unit cannot be located for a young person, but that admission is essential for the safety and welfare of the user or others, then care may be provided on an adult ward for a short period.
	The Government is committed to delivering the standards set out in the children's NSF.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision (a) South West London and St. George's NHS Trust and (b) Kingston Primary Care Trust have for chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis services; what specific funding they receive to deliver these services; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I understand that South West London and St. George's National Health Service Trust refers patients to the chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME) service, based in the Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. The South West London and St. George's Mental Health Trust does not receive specific funding for these services.
	Kingston primary care trust (PCT) has a services level agreement with the South London and Maudsley Mental Health NHS Trust and Barts and The London NHS Trust.
	Kingston PCT received £65,000 for the service at St. Helier hospital, which is accessed by general practitioner referral. This was part of the £8.5 million made available nationally for services specifically designed for people with CFS/ME.

Myeloma

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the availability of treatments for myeloma; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure equal provision of drugs and other treatments for myeloma.

Rosie Winterton: Treatments available for multiple myeloma are listed in the British National Formulary, which can be found at www.BNF.org
	When a patient is being treated by a hospital, the consultant can arrange for the supply of any drug or substance, even one not normally available on a national health service prescription, provided the primary care trust (PCT) or NHS trust agrees to supply it at NHS expense.
	In the case of recently licensed treatments, the Department has made it clear that funding should not be withheld because guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is unavailable. In these circumstances, the Department expects PCTs to take full account of the available evidence when reaching funding decisions.
	The Government are committed to providing high-quality cancer services across the country, irrespective of cancer type. NICE has been commissioned to continue the "Improving Outcomes" series of guidance to ensure there is a comprehensive package of cancer services guidance covering all cancers.
	The NICE guidance, "Improving Outcomes in Haematological Cancers", was published in October 2003 and addresses multiple myeloma.

NHS Administrators (Pay Rates)

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many administrators working in Hertfordshire NHS trusts receive pay in excess of £100,000 per annum; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally. However, the pay ranges for administrative and clerical staff, jointly working in national health service trusts in Hertfordshire, are shown in the table.
	
		Salary and earnings for administrative and clerical staff on national 1 pay-scale, August 2002 £
		
			  Average annualised actual Average full time annualised 2 Lower quartile(57) Upper quartile(57) 
		
		
			 Salary 14,300 14,000 11,400 16,100 
			 Earnings 15,300 14,800 11,800 16,200 
		
	
	(55) Or their equivalents. Staff on local pay-scales are not included.
	(56) Data uprated to reflect what would be earned should each individual work on a full time basis.
	(57) Based on full time annualised salary and earnings.
	Notes:
	1. Figures rounded to the nearest 100.
	2. The NHS earnings survey information is based on payroll data taken from a sample of approximately 50 per cent. of trusts during August.
	Source:
	Department of Health earnings survey.

Nurses

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to review the (a) pay and (b) working hours of nurses in the national health service.

Liam Byrne: In 2005–06, national health service nurses are subject to the last year of a three-year pay deal. The nurses and other health professions review body will review the pay rates of nurses for 2006–07 in due course. There are no plans at present to review the standard working week of 37.5 hours per week excluding meal breaks established by the "Agenda for Change" agreement in November 2004.

Nursing Homes

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average change in the fees charged by private sector nursing homes was in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005;
	(2)  what her assessment is of the effect regulations relating to nursing homes introduced in the last five years have had on fees charged by nursing homes; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Department does not collect information on care home fees. However, for-profit nursing home fees between March 2000 and March 2004, from Laing and Buisson's "Care of Elderly People Market Survey 2004", are shown in the tables.
	Private sector nursing homes are free to set their own prices. Price increases therefore reflect considerations such as the firm's required rate of return, as well as costs including the cost of other standards designed to protect users and their families. Local social service departments and the national health service pay for over two thirds of the cost of residential care, and significant extra resources have been made available as well.
	Funding for social services has increased by 6 per cent. a year over the three years 2003–04 to 2005–06. These increases follow a 20 per cent. increase in the level of funding for social services between 1996–97 and 2002–03. This enables local councils to contract with providers at realistic prices.
	
		Average weekly fees—private homes for older people, United Kingdom £ per week
		
			  March 
			 For-profit homes 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Nursing single room 387 399 427 464 508 
			 Nursing shared room 356 370 393 421 436 
			 Nursing weighted average 379 393 421 457 496 
		
	
	
		Year on year change in average weekly fee level, United Kingdom percentage
		
			 Financial year April to March 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Nursing single room +3.5 +6.4 +7.9 +7.4 
			 Nursing shared room +3.4 +5.6 +7.1 +7.4 
			 Nursing weighted average +3.5 +6.0 +7.8 +7.4

Streptococcus Testing

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will make it her policy to provide group B streptococcus testing on the NHS near the end of pregnancy; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what advice her Department has given to health care professionals on group B streptococcus testing during pregnancy;
	(3)  what research her Department has conducted into group B streptococcus testing during pregnancy.

Jane Kennedy: The current position is that routine screening of group B streptococcus should not be offered to all pregnant women. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guideline on antenatal care states that:
	"Pregnant women should not be offered routine antenatal screening for group B streptococcus because evidence of its clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness remains uncertain".
	The United Kingdom national screening committee (NSC) has commissioned an electronic learning resource for health care professionals from the national electronic library for health to promote the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' guideline on prevention of early onset neonatal group B streptococcal disease.
	The NSC is also considering further research needs. As part of this, it has asked the health technology assessment programme to undertake two studies:
	Prenatal screening and treatment strategies to prevent group B streptococcal and other bacterial infections in early infancy: cost effectiveness and expected value of information analyses.
	Prenatal screening for group B streptococcal disease: protocol development for a possible clinical trial.